Manipulation of fluids, fluid components and reactions in microfluidic systems

ABSTRACT

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided. In one aspect, such structures and methods can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to microfluidic structures, and more specifically, to microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions.

BACKGROUND

Microfluidic systems typically involve control of fluid flow through one or more microchannels. One class of systems includes microfluidic “chips” that include very small fluid channels and small reaction/analysis chambers. These systems can be used for analyzing very small amounts of samples and reagents and can control liquid and gas samples on a small scale. Microfluidic chips have found use in both research and production, and are currently used for applications such as genetic analysis, chemical diagnostics, drug screening, and environmental monitoring. Although these systems may allow manipulation of small volumes of fluids, additional methods that allow further control and flexibility are needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions are provided.

In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided. The method comprises providing a microfluidic network comprising a first region and a microfluidic channel in fluid communication with the first region, flowing a first fluid in a first direction in the microfluidic channel, and flowing a second fluid in the first direction in the microfluidic channel. The method also includes partitioning at least a portion of the first fluid at the first region, at least in part through action of the second fluid, so as to form a first droplet of the first fluid at the first region. The method also includes maintaining the droplet at the first region while the second fluid is flowing in the first direction.

In another embodiment, a method comprises providing a microfluidic network comprising at least a first inlet to a microfluidic channel, a first and a second region for forming a first and a second droplet, respectively, the first and second regions in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel, and flowing a first fluid in the microfluidic channel. The method involves partitioning a first portion of the first fluid at the first region, at least in part through action of the second fluid, so as to form the first droplet at the first region, and partitioning a second portion of the first fluid at the second region, at least in part through action of the second fluid, so as to form the second droplet at the second region.

In another embodiment, a microfluidic device comprises a plurality of chamber units positioned in parallel, each chamber unit comprising: a chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet, a feed channel fluidly connected to a plurality of chamber inlets, a drain channel fluidly connected to a plurality of chamber outlets, a chamber bypass channel extending from the chamber, and a fluid restriction region between the chamber outlet and the drain channel, the fluid restriction region being more restrictive to fluid flow than the chamber.

In another embodiment, a method comprises flowing a fluid containing a plurality of components in a microfluidic system comprising a chamber having a flow direction, a chamber inlet, a chamber outlet, and a chamber bypass channel extending from the chamber between the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet. The method also includes positioning a component in the chamber, the chamber having a cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, less than 2 times the largest cross-sectional area of the component perpendicular to the flow direction, and flowing a fluid through the chamber while maintaining the component at its position in the chamber. A portion of the plurality of components may be flowed in the chamber bypass channel.

In another embodiment, a system comprises a microfluidic device comprising an inlet, an outlet, a chamber having a flow direction, and a flow restriction region fluidly connected to the outlet of the chamber, and a plurality of cells generally aligned in the chamber. At least 80% of the cells have a largest cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, of between 0.1 and 1.0 times the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction. The flow restriction region is constructed and arranged to allow a fluid but not the cells to pass therethrough.

A method may also comprise providing a microfluidic network comprising at least a first inlet to a microfluidic channel, a first and a second region for positioning a first and a second reactive component, respectively, the first and second regions in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel, wherein the first region is closer in distance to the first inlet than the second region, and flowing a first fluid comprising first and second components in the microfluidic channel. The method may also include positioning the first component at the first region, positioning the second component at the second region, and maintaining the first and second components in the first and second regions, respectively, while a fluid is flowing in the microfluidic channel. In one embodiment, the first and/or second reactive component is a cell. In another embodiment, the first and/or second reactive component is a bead. In some cases, positioning of the first and/or second reactive components does not require use of a fluid immiscible with the first fluid. The method may optionally include flowing a second fluid comprising an associating component in the microfluidic channel, wherein the associating component can interact with the first and/or second reactive components. The associating component may be a binding partner complementary to the first and/or second components. In some embodiments, the microfluidic channel comprises an upstream portion, a downstream portion, and first and second fluid paths extending from the upstream portion and reconnecting at the downstream portion. The first and second fluid paths may have different resistances to flow. In some cases, the first region is positioned within the first fluid path.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures. In cases where the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control. If two or more documents incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure with respect to each other, then the document having the later effective date shall control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component illustrated is typically represented by a single numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the figures:

FIGS. 1A-1E show schematically a microfluidic network for positioning a droplet in a region of the network according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2A-2C show schematically removal of a droplet from a region of the network according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing multiple sections of a microfluidic network for positioning droplets according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a photograph showing multiple droplets positioned in multiple regions of a microfluidic network according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 5A-5C show manipulation of a droplet positioned in a region of a microfluidic network by changing the surface tension of the droplet according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a photograph of a droplet wetting a surface of the microfluidic network according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows de-wetting of the droplet from a surface of the microfluidic network after being treated with a stabilizing agent according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 8A-8E show a method of forming a droplet and maintaining a droplet at a first region of a microfluidic device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a microfluidic device including several regions for forming droplets according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 10A-10F show a method of positioning a reactive component at a region of a microfluidic device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 shows a microfluidic device including a plurality of chambers according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 12A-12B show alignment of components in chambers of a microfluidic system according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 13A-13B show an array of single cells positioned in chambers of a microfluidic system according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 14A-14B are bright field and fluorescence images, respectively, showing a plurality of cells that have grown from single cells similar to the ones shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B.

FIGS. 15A-15E are photographs showing the growth of cells at a region of a microfluidic device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 16A-16C show fluorescently-labeled cells at a region of a microfluidic device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 17A-17C show cells expressing a fluorescent protein at a region of a microfluidic device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 18A-18B show aligned cells and the tracking of cells in a chamber of a microfluidic system, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 18C shows a chart of the lineology of the cells shown in FIG. 18B.

FIG. 19 shows aligned cells in a chamber of a microfluidic system. The cells show different levels of gene expression and therefore have different intensities.

FIGS. 20A-20B show yeast cells grown in a chamber having a plurality of branching channels in the form of a grid according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 21 shows phenotype switching of cells in response to being exposed to synthetic dextrose media according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 22 shows FISH staining of cells positioned in a chamber according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 23A-23C show a screen of a GFP library of yeast cells positioned in a chamber according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 24A-24E show different levels of gene expression in cells that are exposed to various buffers according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to microfluidic structures and methods for manipulating fluids, fluid components, and reactions. In one aspect, such structures and methods involve positioning fluid samples, e.g., in the form of droplets, in a carrier fluid (e.g., an oil, which may be immiscible with the fluid sample) in predetermined regions in a microfluidic network. In some embodiments, positioning of the droplets can take place in the order in which they are introduced into the microfluidic network (e.g., sequentially) without significant physical contact between the droplets. Because of the little or no contact between the droplets, coalescence between the droplets can be avoided. Accordingly, in such embodiments, surfactants are not required in either the fluid sample or the carrier fluid to prevent coalescence of the droplets. Positioning of droplets without the use of surfactants is desirable in certain cases where surfactants may negatively interfere with the contents in the fluid sample (e.g., proteins). Structures and methods described herein also enable droplets to be removed sequentially from the predetermined regions to a different region of the fluidic network where they can be further processed.

Once the droplets are positioned at the predetermined regions, they can be stored and/or may undergo manipulation (e.g., diffusion, evaporation, dilution, and precipitation). In some instances, many (e.g., 1000) droplets can be manipulated, sometimes simultaneously. Manipulation of fluid samples can be useful for a variety of applications, including testing for reaction conditions, e.g., in crystallization, and chemical and/or biological assays, including chemical reactions, enzymatic reactions, immuno-based reactions (e.g., antigen-antibody), and cell-based reactions.

It should be understood that while several of the embodiments described herein refer to the positioning and/or manipulation of droplets, the embodiments are also applicable to other components such as cells and beads, which may be contained in a fluid without being in a droplet.

In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. The droplets can be created at a region (e.g., a storage region) in a self-regulated manner. The method may include, optionally, filling a microfluidic channel with a filling fluid (e.g., oil). The oil can then be flushed out with a first fluid (e.g., an aqueous fluid) to be stored/maintained at a region of the device. This first fluid may be immiscible with the filling fluid. The first fluid can enter a region of the device for storing a droplet, replacing the filling fluid in that region. Next, a second fluid (e.g., a fluid immiscible with the first fluid) may be flowed in the channel, causing partitioning of a portion of the first fluid. Partitioning of the first fluid causes formation of a droplet of the first fluid at the region, while a second portion of the first fluid bypasses the region. In this manner, a plurality of droplets can be generated sequentially down the length of the channel.

In another aspect, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components in an arrangement such that the components can be manipulated and then tracked even after manipulation. For example, cells may be constrained in an arrangement in microfluidic structures described herein to facilitate tracking during their growth and/or after they multiply. This can allow, for example: 1) cells to be trapped and observed over time; 2) culturing of cells in a manner than allows determination of their identity and lineage; and 3) manipulation of the cells (e.g., by staining or washing) while maintaining the identity and/or position of the cells. Other advantages and applications are described in more detail below.

Certain microfluidic chips described herein may include a micro fluidic network having a region for forming droplets of sample in a carrier fluid (e.g., an oil), and one or more regions (e.g., microreactor regions, microwells, reservoirs, chambers, or portions of a microfluidic channel) in which the droplets can be positioned and reaction conditions within the droplet can be varied. In some embodiments, the droplet formation region is the same as the region in which the droplet is positioned for varying a condition within the droplet. Droplets may be positioned sequentially in regions of the microfluidic network so that upon manipulating and/or performing a chemical and/or biological process within each the droplets, the droplets can be identified at a later time, for example, to determine the particular conditions within the droplets that lead to a favorable outcome (e.g., optimal conditions for forming a product, for crystal growth, etc.).

As used herein, “droplet” means a small portion of a fluid, isolated from other portions of the same fluid. A droplet can have a traditional, rounded shape, or a different shape which can be influenced by its environment. A droplet of a first fluid can be surrounded by different, immiscible fluid, or bounded by a surface of an article, or a gas such as air, or a combination. For example, a droplet of a first fluid can be suspended in (completely surrounded by) a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid. Or a droplet of a first fluid can reside on a surface of a solid article, with portions that are not in contact with the surface exposed to the second fluid or a gas. A droplet can be bounded on multiple sides by one or more surfaces of an article, e.g. the interior of a channel. For example, a portion of a channel completely filled with a first fluid, which resides within a discrete regions of the channel, is a droplet for purposes of the invention.

It should also be understood that any suitable fluid(s) can be used in connection with devices and methods described herein. Where embodiments describe the use of “immiscible” fluids, those of ordinary skill in the art know or can determine by simple experimentation which combination of fluids is immiscible. For instance, solubility parameters of a variety of fluids are available in literature and can be used to determine miscibility/immiscibility. Additionally and/or alternatively, simple experimentation may include, for example, mixing two or more fluids in a container—if the fluids partition after a certain period of time, the fluids are immiscible. Furthermore, it should be understood that where “first” and “second” fluids are described herein, these fluids can have any suitable composition and can be interchangeable in other embodiments. For example, one particular embodiment may describe the use of a “first fluid” that is aqueous and a “second fluid” that is an oil, and a different embodiment may described a “first fluid” as an oil and a “second fluid” that is aqueous. In certain embodiments, first and second fluids can be miscible with one another (e.g., both being aqueous or both being an oil). Gaseous fluids may also be used.

FIG. 1 shows a method for positioning a droplet in a region of a microfluidic network according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1A, microfluidic network 1000 comprises section 1001 including microfluidic channel 1002 having an upstream portion 1006 and a downstream portion 1010 (as fluid flows in the direction of arrow 1012), with fluid path 1014 and fluid path 1018 (e.g., a bypass channel) extending from the upstream portion and reconnecting at the downstream portion. In some cases, resistance to fluid flow (hydrodynamic resistance) may differ between fluid paths 1014 and 1018. For example, fluid path 1014 may have less resistance to fluid flowing in the direction of arrow 1012 prior to positioning of a droplet in this section of the microfluidic network. As shown in this illustrative embodiment, fluid path 1014 has a lower resistance to fluid flow than fluid path 1018 due to the relatively longer channel length of fluid path 1018. It should be understood, however, that the microfluidic network may have other designs and/or configurations for imparting different relative resistances to fluid flow, and such designs and configurations can be determined by those of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, in some embodiments, the length, width, height, and/or shape of the fluid path can be designed to cause one fluid path to have a resistance to fluid flow different from another fluid path. In other embodiments, at least a portion of a fluid path may include an obstruction such as a valve (which may change hydrodynamic resistance dynamically), a semi-permeable plug (e.g., a hydrogel), a membrane, or another structure that can impart and/or change resistance to fluid flow through that portion.

As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, droplet 1020 flows in the direction of 1012, e.g., by being carried by a carrier fluid 1021 flowing in the same direction. Upon passing the junction between flow paths 1014 and 1018 at upstream portion 1006, the droplet flows in fluid path 1014 due to its lower resistance to flow in that fluid path relative to fluid path 1018. However, as fluid path 1014 includes a fluid restriction region 1024 (e.g., a “narrow fluid path portion” and/or a region having a smaller cross-sectional area than that of fluid path portion 1014), droplet 1020 cannot flow further down the microfluidic network. Accordingly, droplet 1020 is positioned within a region 1028 (e.g., a “microwell” or “chamber”) of the microfluidic network. In some embodiments, droplet 1020 can be maintained at the region even though carrier fluid continues to flow in the microfluidic network (e.g., in the direction of arrow 1012).

It should be understood that any suitable fluid path can be used as a fluid restriction region, which may have a higher hydrodynamic resistance and/or a smaller cross-sectional area for fluid flow than a region immediately upstream or downstream of the fluid constriction region. For instance, fluid restriction region 1024 may be in the form of a narrow fluid path or a channel having the same dimensions as fluid path 1014, but having an obstruction (e.g., posts or a valve) positioned in or at the region. In other embodiments, fluid restriction region 1024 may comprise a porous membrane, a semi-permeable plug (e.g., a gel), a valve, or another structure.

As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1D, the positioning of droplet 1020 at region 1028 causes fluid path 1014 to be plugged such that no or minimal fluid flows past fluid restriction region 1024. This plugging of fluid path 1014 causes a higher resistance to fluid flow in that path compared to that of fluid path 1018. As a result, when a second droplet 1030 flows in the direction of arrow 1012, the second droplet bypasses flow path 1014 and enters flow path 1018, which now has a lower hydrodynamic resistance than that of fluid path 1014 (FIG. ID). Accordingly, second droplet 1030 can bypass first droplet 1020 and can now be positioned in a second region within microfluidic network 1000 (not shown).

It should be understood that when droplet 1020 is positioned at region 1028, the droplet may plug all or a portion of fluid path 1014 and/or fluid restriction region 1024. For instance, in some cases, the droplet plugs all of such fluid paths such that none of carrier fluid 1021 (or another fluid) flowing in microfluidic channel 1002 passes through fluid restriction region 1024. In other embodiments, the droplet may plug only a portion of such fluid paths such that some fluid passes through fluid restriction region 1024 even though the droplet is positioned at region 1028. The amount of fluid flowing past the positioned droplet may depend on factors such as the dimensions of fluid path portions 1014 and/or 1024, the size of the droplets, the flow rate, etc. As the droplet causes fluid path 1014 to have a higher relative hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018, a second droplet can bypass fluid path 1014 and enter fluid path 1018.

As described above, fluid paths 1014 and 1018 may have different hydrodynamic resistances depending on whether or not a droplet is positioned at region 1028. In the absence of a droplet positioned at region 1028, fluid path 1014 may be configured to have a lower hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018. For example, greater than 50%, greater than 60%, greater than 70%, greater than 80%, or greater than 90% of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 at upstream portion 1006 may flow in fluid path 1014 compared to fluid path 1018. However, when the droplet is positioned and maintained in region 1028, fluid path 1014 may be relatively more restrictive to fluid flow. For example, less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, or less than 10% of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 at upstream portion 1006 may flow in fluid path 1014 compared to that of 1018. In some cases, 100% of the fluid flowing in direction 1012 in microfluidic channel 1002 flows in fluid path 1018 upon positioning of a droplet in region 1028.

As illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the positioning of droplet 1020 (e.g., a first droplet) and the subsequent bypass of droplet 1030 (e.g., a second droplet) does not require contact between the first and second droplets due to the design of section 1001. In certain embodiments, the second droplet does not physically contact the first droplet after positioning of the first droplet in region 1028. This can occur, in some embodiments, when the volume and/or length of fluid path 1014 (between fluid restriction region 1024 and the intersection between fluid paths 1014 and 118) is larger than the volume and/or length of droplet 1020. In other embodiments, the second droplet can come into physical contact with the first droplet as it bypasses the first droplet, however, due to such minimal contact between the two droplets, the droplets do not coalesce. This can occur, in some embodiments, when the volume and/or length of fluid path 1014 (between fluid restriction region 1024 and the intersection between fluid paths 1014 and 118) is smaller than the volume and/or length of droplet 1020.

Accordingly, in some instances, the positioning of the droplets in the microfluidic network can take place without the use of surfactants. In other words, surfactants in either a fluid flowing in channel 1002 (e.g., a carrier fluid) or within the droplets is not required in order to stabilize the droplets and/or prevent the droplets from coalescing with one another during positioning or carrying the droplet in the microfluidic channel, and/or during maintaining the droplets within a predetermined region within the microfluidic network. However, in instances where coalescence is desired (e.g., to allow a reaction between reagents contained in two droplets), the microfluidic network and methods for operating the network can be configured to allow such physical contact and/or coalescence between droplets. These interactions or absence of interactions can be controlled, for example, by varying the volume and/or length of the droplets, as well as the volume and/or length of regions 1028.

In some embodiments, methods for positioning a droplet in a microfluidic network include the steps of providing a microfluidic network comprising a first region (e.g., region 1028 of FIG. 1A) and a microfluidic channel in fluid communication with the first region, flowing a first fluid (e.g., a carrier fluid) in the microfluidic channel, and flowing a first droplet comprising a second fluid (e.g., a fluid sample) in the microfluidic channel, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are immiscible. The first droplet may be positioned in the first region and maintained in the first region while the first fluid is flowing in the microfluidic channel. In such embodiments, positioning and/or maintaining the first droplet in the first region does not require the use of a surfactant in the first or second fluids. As described in more detail below, other components such as cells and beads may be positioned in addition to or instead of droplets in a similar manner.

In some embodiments, a chemical and/or biological process and/or another manipulation process can be carried out in droplet 1020 of FIG. 1 while the droplet is positioned in region 1028. For example, a fluid sample in the droplet may undergo a process such as diffusion, evaporation, dilution, and/or precipitation. The droplet may be manipulation, for example, by changing the concentration of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 after the droplet has been positioned at region 1028. In other embodiments, region 1028 is in fluid communication with another fluidic channel, flow path, reservoir, or other structure, e.g., via a semi permeable membrane that may be positioned adjacent the region (e.g., underneath or above region 1028), and manipulation of the droplet can occur via such passages. Manipulations of fluids are described in more detail in U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/925,357, filed Apr. 19, 2007, and entitled “Manipulation of Fluids and Reactions in Microfluidic Systems”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

In some embodiments, droplets that have been positioned at regions of a microfluidic network can be removed or extracted from the regions to a different location in the microfluidic network, where they can be optionally processed, manipulated, and/or collected. As shown in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 2A-2C, removing droplet 1020 from region 1028 of section 1001 of microfluidic network 1000 can take place by reversing the flow of the carrier fluid in the network such that the carrier fluid now flows in the direction of arrow 1040 (instead of in the direction of arrow 1012 of FIGS. 1A-1E).

In some such embodiments, upstream portion 1006 and downstream portion 1010 of FIGS. 1A-1E now become reversed such that portion 1010 is now an upstream portion and portion 1006 is now a downstream portion. The flow of a carrier fluid in the direction of arrow 1040 in microfluidic channel 1002 causes a portion of the fluid to flow through fluid restriction region 1024 into region 1028 where droplet 1020 is positioned. This fluid flow causes the droplet to flow in the direction of arrow 1040. As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2B, droplet 1030, which may have been positioned at a different region of the microfluidic network, can be removed from that region and may also flow in the direction of arrow 1040. As droplet 1030 encounters fluid restriction region 1024, the droplet cannot flow through this narrow opening due to the region's high hydrodynamic resistance. As a result, the droplet bypasses fluid restriction region 1024 and flows into fluid path 1018 until it reaches microfluidic channel 1002 at downstream portion 1006. Thus, by reversing the flow and the pressure gradient in the microfluidic network, droplets 1020 and 1030 can be removed sequentially from the regions of the microfluidic network where they previously resided. That is, droplet 1020, which was positioned first before droplet 1030, can be removed from its region and can enter a different region of the microfluidic network before that of droplet 1020. Optionally, when droplet 1030 reaches downstream portion 1006, the flow can be reversed again (e.g., such that fluid flows in the direction of arrow 1012 of FIGS. 1A-1E) to cause droplet 1030 to enter into region 1028. This method can allow droplets to be removed from a first region and positioned in a second region of the microfluidic network.

In some embodiments, sequential positioning of droplets can be performed such that a first droplet is positioned in a first region before a second droplet is positioned in a second region (and, optionally, before third, fourth, fifth droplets, etc. are positioned in their respective regions). As described above, sequential removal of the droplets can be performed such that the first droplet is removed from a region and/or positioned at a different location of the microfluidic network before the second droplet (and, optionally, before third, fourth, fifth droplets, etc. are removed from their respective regions). In other embodiments, removal of the droplets can be performed such that the second droplet is removed and/or positioned at a different location of the microfluidic network before the first droplet.

In some cases, several (e.g., greater than 2, greater than 5, greater than 10, greater than 50, greater than 100, greater than 200, greater than 500, or greater than 1000) droplets can be positioned at regions of the microfluidic network, wherein the droplets are positioned in the regions in the order the droplets are introduced into the microfluidic network. In some cases, removing several droplets positioned at regions of the microfluidic network comprises removing the droplets in the order the droplets were introduced into the microfluidic network (or in the order the droplets were positioned into the regions of the microfluidic network). In other cases, removing several droplets positioned at regions of the microfluidic network comprises removing the droplets in the reverse order the droplets were introduced into the microfluidic network (or in the reverse order the droplets were positioned into the regions of the microfluidic network). Other methods of positioning and removal of droplets are also possible.

The sequential (or predetermined/known order of) removal of droplets from regions of a microfluidic network can allow control over the identification and location of each droplet within the network. This can also allow determination of the contents inside each of the droplets from the time they are formed and/or introduced into the microfluidic network, to the time the droplets are manipulated and/or extracted from the microfluidic network.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of multiple sections 1001-A, 1001-B, and 1001-C of microfluidic network 1050 according to one embodiment of the invention. A carrier fluid may flow in micro fluidic channel 1002-A in the direction of arrow 1012 from an inlet positioned upstream of portion 1006. The carrier fluid may partition at the junction where fluid paths 1014-A and 1018-A extend from microfluidic channel 1002. The proportion of fluid that flows in each of the fluid paths can be determined at least in part by the relative hydrodynamic resistances of the paths, as described above. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, sections 1001-A, 1001-B, and 1001-C are positioned in series. In other embodiments, however, such sections may be positioned in parallel and/or in both series and parallel. Other configurations are also possible.

A microfluidic network may have any suitable number of microfluidic sections 1001. For instance, the microfluidic network may have greater than or equal to 5, greater than or equal to 10, greater than or equal to 30, greater than or equal to 70, greater than or equal to 100, greater than or equal to 200, greater than or equal to 500, or greater than or equal to 1000 such sections.

In additional, although certain embodiments herein show that sections 1001 can allow positioning of a single droplet in each of the sections, in other embodiments, the sections can be designed such that greater than one droplet (e.g., greater than or equal to 2, greater than or equal to 5, or greater than or equal to 10 droplets) can be positioned at each section.

Furthermore, although only two fluid flow paths 1014 and 1018 are shown extending from channel 1002, in other embodiments, more than two (e.g., greater than or equal to 3, greater than or equal to 5, or greater than or equal to 10) fluid paths may extend from channel 1002. Each extending fluid path may optionally comprise one or more regions (e.g., microwells) for positioning and/or maintaining droplets.

FIG. 4 shows the positioning of droplets 1060, 1062, and 1064 at positions 1028-A, 1028-B, and 1028-C, respectively, in microfluidic network 1050 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in this illustrative embodiment, carrier fluid 1021 flows in the direction of arrow 1012 and carries droplet 1060 through channel 1002-A and into fluidic path 1014-A due to the lower resistance to fluid flow in that fluid path compared to that of fluid path 1018-A. That is, prior to the positioning of droplet 1060 in region 1028-A, more than 50% of the fluid flowing in microfluidic channel 1002-A flows through fluid path 1014-A compared to fluid path 1018-A.

Once droplet 1060 is positioned at region 1028-A, it impedes fluid flow through fluid restriction region 1024-A such that the hydrodynamic resistances of fluid paths 1014-A and 1018-A are altered. This causes the hydrodynamic resistance of portion 1014-A to be higher, and as a result, a greater amount of fluid flows in the direction of 1070 through fluid path portion 1018-A. Accordingly, a second droplet 1062 flowing through microfluidic channel 1002-A and passing upstream portion 1006 now bypasses fluid path portion 1014-A and flows through portion 1018-A. The second droplet, after bypassing region 1028-A, now enters microfluidic channel portion 1002-B. If there is a lower hydrodynamic resistance in fluid path portion 1014-B compared to region 1018-B (e.g., a droplet has not already been positioned in region 1028-B), the droplet can be positioned at this region. Next, a third droplet 1064 can flow through microfluidic channel portion 1002-A in the direction of arrow 1012 and first bypasses region 1028-A due to droplet 1060 already positioned at that region. The droplet can then flow into fluid path portion 1018-A and 1002-B. Since droplet 1062 has already been positioned at region 1028-B, third droplet 1064 bypasses this region and takes the fluid path of least hydrodynamic resistance (fluid path portion 1018-B). Upon entering an empty region such as region 1028-C, the third droplet can now be positioned at that region due to a lower hydrodynamic resistance in fluid path 1014-C compared to that of fluid path portion 1018-C (e.g., prior to any other droplet being positioned at region 1028-C).

Accordingly, a method for positioning droplets in regions of a microfluidic network may include providing a microfluidic network comprising at least a first inlet to a microfluidic channel (e.g., positioned upstream of portion 1006 of FIG. 4), a first region (e.g., region 1028-A) and a second region (e.g., region 1028-B) for positioning a first and a second droplet, respectively, the first and second regions in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel, wherein the first region is closer in distance to the first inlet than the second region. The method can include flowing a first fluid (e.g., a carrier fluid) in the microfluidic channel, flowing a first droplet (e.g., a first fluid sample), defined by a fluid immiscible with the first fluid, in the microfluidic channel, and positioning the first droplet in the first region. The method can also include flowing a second droplet (e.g., a second fluid sample), defined by a fluid immiscible with the first fluid, in the microfluidic channel past the first region without the second droplet physically contacting the first droplet. The second droplet may then be positioned at the second region. In some instances, the first and/or second droplets are maintained at their respective regions while fluid continues to flow in the microfluidic channel.

It should be understood that other components may be integrated with fluidic networks described herein in some embodiments of the invention. For example, in some instances, hydrodynamic resistances of fluid paths can be changed dynamically such that the direction of fluid flow (and, therefore, positioning of droplets) can be controlled by the user. In one such embodiment, valves may be positioned at one or more of positions 1070-A, 1070-B, and 1070-C of FIG. 4. For example, a valve at position 1070-B can cause restriction of fluid flow through fluid path portion 1014-B, e.g., prior to a droplet being positioned at region 1028-B. This can cause a droplet flowing through microfluidic channel portion 1002-B to bypass region 1028-B even though a droplet is not positioned at that region. Thus, the droplet flowing through portion 1002-B will flow through fluid path 1018-B and onto the next available region, where the fluid resistance of that region may or may not be controlled by a similar valve. In some instances, after a droplet bypasses region 1028-B due to a closed valve at position 1070-B (or any other component that can change the relative resistances to fluid flow between fluid paths 1014-B and 1018-B), the valve at position 1070-B can now be reopened to change the relative resistances to fluid flow such that a next droplet can now enter into region 1028-B and be positioned at that region. Such a system can allow droplets to be positioned at any desired region of a microfluidic network.

As described herein, in some embodiments droplets do not require stabilization (e.g., the use of surfactants or other stabilizing agents) in order to be positioned at predetermined regions within microfluidic networks described herein. This is because in some embodiments, the droplets do not significantly physically contact one another during bypass of one droplet to another. Due to the little or no physical contact between the droplets, the droplets do not have a chance to coalesce with one another. Thus, surfactants or other stabilizing agents are not required to stabilize the droplets from coalescing in some such embodiments.

In some embodiments, the absence of surfactants or other stabilizing agents causes the droplets to wet a surface of the microfluidic network. Even though wetting may occur, the droplets can still be positioned at predetermined regions within the microfluidic network due to, for example, a positive pressure that causes fluid flow to carry these droplets into these regions. As discussed above, the use of droplets and/or a carrier fluid that does not contain a surfactant is advantageous in some embodiments where surfactants may negatively interfere with contents inside the droplets. For example, the droplets may contain proteins, and surfactants are known to denature certain proteins to some extent. However, after manipulation of the droplet and/or carrying out a process such as a chemical and/or biological reaction inside the droplet, surfactants may no longer negatively affect the contents inside the droplet. Accordingly, in such cases, a surfactant or other stabilizing agent can be applied to the droplets after the droplets have been positioned at regions of the microfluidic network. In some embodiments, application of a stabilizing agent to a droplet after manipulation of the droplet and/or carrying out a process inside the droplet can facilitate mobilization of the droplet out of the region in which the droplet is positioned.

It should be understood, however, than in some embodiments, a droplet and/or a carrier fluid may contain a surfactant or other stabilizing agent that stabilizes a droplet prior to positioning of the droplet at a region in the microfluidic network. In some such embodiments, the stabilizing agent does not negatively interfere with contents (e.g., reagents) inside the droplet. Of course, such embodiments will depend on a variety of factors such as the type of stabilizing agent used, the contents inside the droplet, the application, etc.

FIGS. 5A-5C show schematically the treatment of a droplet positioned at a predetermined region within a microfluidic network with a stabilizing agent according to one embodiment of the invention. As described above, droplet 1080 (which, in this embodiment, does not include a stabilizing agent) can be positioned at region 1028 by flowing a carrier fluid and the droplet in the direction of arrow 1012. After the droplet has been positioned, the droplet may wet a surface of the channel, such as surface portions 1084. (In other cases, however, the surface of the channel can be treated with a chemical coating so that the droplet does not wet the surface of the channel.) In some embodiments, wetting of the channel surface can cause the droplet to be immobilized at this region, even when a carrier fluid is flowed in the opposite direction (e.g., in the direction of arrow 1088) in attempt to remove the droplet from this region. In some such embodiments, a fluid comprising a stabilizing agent (e.g., a surfactant) can be flowed in the microfluidic network, e.g., in the direction of arrow 1088 through microfluidic channel 1002. A portion of this fluid can flow through fluid restriction region 1024 to reach droplet 1080 at region 1028. This fluid containing the stabilizing agent can cause the droplet to be coated with the stabilizing agent, which can result in the droplet de-wetting from the channel at surface portions 1084. In such cases, the surface tension of the droplet has been reduced. Thus, the droplet may be “depinned” from one or more surfaces of the channel.

If desired, after introducing a fluid containing a stabilizing agent to the droplet, the fluid flow may be stopped for a certain amount of time to allow the stabilizing agent to coat the droplet. In other embodiments, however, flow in channel 1002 is not stopped after the stabilizing agent has been introduced. In yet other embodiments, after a droplet has been de-wetted from a surface of the microfluidic network, fluid flowing in the microfluidic network may be replaced by a second fluid (which may or may not contain a stabilizing agent). As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5C, droplet 1080 can be removed/extracted from region 1028 in the direction of arrow 1088. One of ordinary skill in the art can determine appropriate conditions for de-wetting a droplet from a surface of the microfluidic network which may depend on conditions such as the concentration of the stabilizing agent in the fluid, the flow rate, the degree of wetting of the droplet, the contents of the droplet, the material composition of the fluidic network, as well as other factors.

FIG. 6 is a photograph showing droplet 1092 that has wetted surface portions 1096 of microfluidic network 1090 at region 1028. As shown in FIG. 7, after flowing a fluid containing a surfactant in the direction of arrow 1088, a portion of which flows through a fluid restriction region 1024, droplet 1092 de-wets surface portions 1096 and is now stabilized with the stabilizing agent. The stabilization is evident by meniscus 1098 that forms around droplet 1092, as the droplet now has a lower energy state configuration compared to that shown in FIG. 6.

It should be understood that a fluid containing a stabilizing agent can be introduced into microfluidic network 1090 in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the stabilizing agent may be introduced by a fluid flowing in the direction of arrow 1012. In other embodiments, region 1028 may be in fluidic communication with another portion of the device extending from region 1028. For instance, above or below region 1028 may be a reservoir, a channel, or other component that can be used to introduce a stabilizing agent or other entity to a droplet in that region.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, droplets that are released from a region of a microfluidic network can be forced to flow in a direction opposite that which was used to position the droplet in the region. In other embodiments, however, after a droplet has been removed from region in which it was positioned, the droplet may be forced to flow in the same direction as that which was used to position the droplet. For example, in one embodiment, droplet 1080 of FIG. 5C can be released from position 1028 and can be forced to flow in the direction of 1088 until the droplet resides at a downstream portion of channel 1002 (e.g., at the top of microfluidic network 1000 as shown in FIG. 5C). Then, a valve or other component that may be positioned at position 1070 can be at least partially closed to cause a higher resistance to fluid flow in fluid flow path 1014 compared to that of 1018. Since fluid flow path 1018 now has a lower resistance to fluid flow, flow of the carrier fluid can now be reversed such that it flows in the direction of arrow 1012, in which case the droplet can bypass fluid flow path 1014 and enter fluid flow path 1018.

Different types of carrier fluids can be used to carry droplets or components in a microfluidic system. Carrier fluids can be hydrophilic (e.g., aqueous) or hydrophobic (e.g., an oil), and may be chosen depending on the type of droplet being formed or positioned (e.g., aqueous or oil-based) and/or the type of process occurring in the droplet (e.g., crystallization or a chemical reaction). In some cases, a carrier fluid may comprise a fluorocarbon. In some embodiments, the carrier fluid is immiscible with the fluid in the droplet. In other embodiments, the carrier fluid is slightly miscible with the fluid in the droplet. Sometimes, a hydrophobic carrier fluid, which is immiscible with the aqueous fluid defining the droplet, is slightly water soluble. For example, oils such as PDMS and poly(trifluoropropylmethysiloxane) are slightly water soluble. These carrier fluids may be suitable, for example, when fluid communication between the droplet and another fluid is desired. Diffusion of water from a droplet, through the carrier fluid, and into a second droplet is one example of such a case.

As described above, methods for storing and/or extracting droplets in a microfluidic network are provided herein. In some embodiments, the droplets may be stored and/or extracted in sequential order. For example, the droplets may be extracted in the order they are stored or positioned in predetermined regions in the microfluidic network. In other embodiments, the use of valves can allow only certain droplets to be released from regions of the microfluidic system. Advantageously, in some embodiments, such methods do not require the use of surfactants or other stabilizing agents, since the droplets may not come into substantial physical contact with one another in a manner that causes coalescence. This is advantageous in certain cases as surfactants may interfere with contents such as proteins inside the droplet, as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of forming droplets in regions of a microfluidic device is provided. The method can allow production of droplets of a precise volume, which can be stored/maintained at precise regions of the device. The drops can be created at the storage region in a self-regulated manner. The method may include, optionally, filling a microfluidic channel with a filling fluid (e.g., oil). The oil can then be flushed out with a first fluid (e.g., an aqueous fluid) to be stored/maintained at a region of the device. This first fluid may be immiscible with the filling fluid. The first fluid can enter a region of the device for storing a droplet, replacing the filling fluid in that region. Next, a second fluid (e.g., a fluid immiscible with the first fluid) may be flowed in the channel, causing partitioning of a portion of the first fluid (e.g., at least in part through action of the second fluid). Partitioning of the first fluid causes formation of a droplet of the first fluid at the region, while a second portion of the first fluid bypasses the region. In this manner, a plurality of droplets can be generated sequentially down the length of the channel.

Advantageously, the devices and methods described herein may address several problems commonly associated with forming and/or storing droplets: (1) Each droplet of the same volume may be formed (or, the droplets may have different volumes, e.g., depending on the size of the positioning regions) and all of the first fluid (e.g., aqueous phase) may be used with zero or minimal waste, (2) Because the forming and/or positioning of the droplets is done by the serial application of single phase fluids, the process is simple and tolerant to a wide range of flow rates, pressures, fluids, and materials used to form the device. (3) Valves are not required in this device, which may make it easy to manufacture (although valves may be used with the device if desired), (4) Drop generation is robust and simple (e.g., in contrast to certain flow focusing and T-junction methods), (5) The method can be used to position/store reactive components besides (or in addition to) droplets, such cells as beads for use in PCR and ELISA type bioassays.

FIG. 8 shows a method for forming, positioning, and/or maintaining a droplet in a region of a microfluidic network according to one embodiment of the invention. The device used in this method may have the same configuration as that described in connection with FIGS. 1-7. As shown in illustrative embodiment of FIG. 8A, microfluidic network 1000 comprises section 1001 including microfluidic channel 1002 having an upstream portion 1006 and a downstream portion 1010 (as fluid flows in the direction of arrow 1012), with fluid paths 1014 and 1018 extending from the upstream portion and reconnecting at the downstream portion. In some cases, resistance to fluid flow may differ between fluid paths 1014 and 1018. For example, fluid path 1014 may have less resistance to fluid flowing in the direction of arrow 1012 prior to forming, positioning, and/or maintaining of a droplet in this section of the microfluidic network.

As shown in this illustrative embodiment, fluid path 1014 has a lower hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018 due to the relatively longer channel length of fluid path 1018. It should be understood, however, that the microfluidic network may have other designs and/or configurations for imparting different hydrodynamic resistances, and such designs and configurations can be determined by those of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, in some embodiments, the length, width, height, and/or shape of the fluid path can be designed to cause one fluid path to have a resistance to fluid flow different from another fluid path. In one particular embodiment, fluid path 1018 has at least one cross-sectional dimension (e.g., a width or height) that is less than a cross-sectional dimension of fluid path 1014. In other embodiments, at least a portion of a fluid path may include an obstruction such as a valve (which may change hydrodynamic resistance dynamically), a semi-permeable plug (e.g., a hydrogel), a membrane, or another structure that can impart and/or change hydrodynamic resistance in that portion.

FIG. 8A shows an empty microfluidic channel. In one embodiment, a filling fluid 1011 (e.g., an oil) is flowed into channel 1002, filling the channel and fluid paths 1014 and 1018 as shown in FIG. 8B. As shown in FIG. 8C, a first fluid 1200 (e.g., a fluid to be stored as droplets) is flowed into channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012. At upstream portion 1006, a first portion of the fluid flows into fluid path 1014 while a second portion of the fluid flows into fluid path 1018. (The first fluid may flow into fluid path 1014 before fluid path 1018 if fluid path 1014 is designed to have a lower hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018.) As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8D, once the first portion of the first fluid reaches a fluid restriction region 1024, the first portion cannot pass through this narrow portion due to the high hydrodynamic resistance of this fluid path (e.g., a meniscus formed between the first fluid and the filling fluid may cause “plugging” of the narrow fluid path). In some embodiments, the filling fluid can pass through fluid restriction region 1024, although in other embodiments, there is little or no fluid flow through this region.

As shown in FIG. 8E, a second fluid 1202 may then be flowed into channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012. This second fluid may be immiscible with the first fluid. At upstream portion 1006, the second fluid bypasses fluid path 1014 (including region 1028) due the presence of the first fluid at that region. The flowing of this second fluid causes partitioning of the first fluid so as to form droplet 1200-A at the first region.

Fluid path 1018, now having a lower resistance to fluid flow, allows second portion 1200-B of the first fluid to continue flowing in the direction of arrows 1013 and 1015, followed by second fluid 1202. As fluid path 1014 includes fluid restriction region 1024, droplet 1200-A cannot flow further down the microfluidic network. Accordingly, droplet 1200-A is positioned within a region 1028 (e.g., a “microwell”) of the microfluidic network. In some embodiments, droplet 1200-A can be maintained at the region even though fluid continues to flow in the microfluidic network (e.g., in the direction of arrow 1012).

The size/volume of droplet 1200-A can vary and may depend and can be determined, at least in part, on the size/volume of region 1028. In some instances, droplets formed at a region have the same volume (or length) as that of the region. In other instances, droplets formed at a region have a different (e.g., a smaller or larger) volume (or length) as that of the region. The droplet may have a volume (or length) that is within, for example, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or 30% of the volume (or length) of the region in which the droplet is positioned. In other cases, the volume (or length) of a droplet formed in a region is substantially smaller (e.g., less than 50%) than the volume (or length) of the region. For instance, if a region having a volume (or length) of X already contains a droplet having a volume (or length) of Y (e.g., using a method of positioning droplets as described in connection with FIGS. 1-7), a second droplet having an approximate volume (or length) of X−Y (X minus Y) may be formed/stored at the region by the methods described in connection with FIG. 8. This can allow the formation and/or positioning of multiple droplets in a single region of the device.

Various sizes/volumes of droplets that can be formed/stored are described in more detail below.

As described above, in some embodiments, the positioning/presence of droplet 1200-A at region 1028 of FIG. 8 causes fluid path 1014 to be plugged such that no or minimal fluid flows past fluid restriction region 1024. This plugging of fluid path 1014 causes it to have a higher hydrodynamic resistance compared to fluid path 1018. As a result, when subsequent fluids are flowed in the direction of arrow 1012, the subsequent fluids bypass flow path 1014 and enter flow path 1018, which now has a lower resistance than that of fluid path 1014. Accordingly, once region 1028 has been “filled” with a droplet, other regions downstream can be filled with droplets (e.g., by the formation of droplets at these regions). This allows a plurality of droplets to be generated/stored sequentially down the length of the channel.

Accordingly, one method of the invention comprises providing a microfluidic network comprising a first region (e.g., region 1028) and a microfluidic channel (e.g., microfluidic channel 1002) in fluid communication with the first region, flowing a first fluid (e.g., fluid 1200) in a first direction in the microfluidic channel (e.g., in the direction of arrow 1012), flowing a second fluid (e.g., fluid 1202) in the first direction in the microfluidic channel, partitioning at least a portion of the first fluid at the first region so as to form a first droplet (e.g., droplet 1200-A) of the first fluid at the first region, and maintaining the droplet at the first region while fluid is flowing in the first direction. In some instances, forming and/or maintaining of a droplet at a region is independent of flow rate of the first fluid in the microfluidic channel.

The method described in connection with FIGS. 8 and 9 can allow storage of a fluid (e.g., a first fluid) at a region, followed by the creation of a droplet of the first fluid. This method contrasts with the methods described in connection with FIGS. 1-7, where droplets are first formed and then stored in the microfluidic network. In some embodiments described herein, a combination of both approaches can be used.

It should be understood that when droplet 1200-A is formed/positioned at region 1028, the droplet may plug all or a portion of fluid path 1014 and/or fluid restriction region 1024. For instance, in some cases, the droplet plugs all of such fluid paths such that none of the fluid flowing in micro fluidic channel 1002 passes through fluid restriction region 1024. In other embodiments, the droplet may plug only a portion of such fluid paths such that some fluid passes through fluid restriction region 1024 even though the droplet is positioned at region 1028. The amount of fluid flowing past the droplet may depend on factors such as the dimensions of fluid path portions 1014 and/or 1024, the size of the droplets, the flow rate, etc. As long as the droplet causes fluid path 1014 to have a higher relative resistance to fluid flow than fluid path 1018, a second fluid (e.g., fluid 1202) can bypass fluid path 1014 and enter fluid path 1018.

As described above, fluid paths 1014 and 1018 may have different resistances to fluid flow depending on whether or not a droplet has been formed or positioned at region 1028. In the absence of a droplet at region 1028, fluid path 1014 may be configured to have a lower resistance to fluid flow than fluid path 1018. For example, greater than 50%, greater than 60%, greater than 70%, greater than 80%, or greater than 90% of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 at upstream portion 1006 may flow in fluid path 1014 compared to fluid path 1018. However, when a droplet has been formed, positioned and/or maintained at region 1028, fluid path 1014 may have a relatively higher hydrodynamic resistance. For example, less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, less than 20%, or less than 10% of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 at upstream portion 1006 may flow in fluid path 1014 compared to that of 1018. In some cases, 100% of the fluid flowing in direction 1012 in microfluidic channel 1002 flows in fluid path 1018 upon positioning of a droplet at region 1028.

In some embodiments, partitioning of the first fluid into a first portion at region 1028 to cause formation of droplet 1200-A of the first fluid (e.g., a first droplet), can result in the droplet “recoiling” such that it has a slightly smaller volume than that of region 1028. In some instances, this recoiling causes certain subsequent fluids flowing in the microfluidic channel (e.g., a third fluid that is miscible with the first fluid) to not come into contact with the droplet stored at region 1028. The third fluid may be in the form of, for example, a fluid stream or a droplet. If the third fluid is in the form of a second droplet, the second droplet may not come into contact with the first droplet. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, a third fluid (e.g., second droplet or a fluid stream or portion of a fluid stream) does not physically contact the first droplet after forming and/or positioning of a first droplet in region 1028.

In other embodiments, a third fluid (e.g., second droplet or a fluid stream or portion of a fluid stream) comes into physical contact with the first droplet as it bypasses the first droplet, however, due to such minimal contact between the two fluids, the fluids do not coalesce. Accordingly, in some instances, the forming and/or positioning of droplets in the microfluidic network can take place without the use of surfactants. In other words, surfactants in either a fluid flowing in channel 1002 and/or within the droplets is not required in order to stabilize the droplets and/or prevent the droplets or fluids from coalescing with one another during forming, positioning or carrying the droplet in the microfluidic channel, and/or during maintaining the droplets within a predetermined region within the microfluidic network. However, in instances where coalescence is desired (e.g., to allow a reaction between reagents contained in two droplets), the microfluidic network and methods for operating the network can be configured to allow such physical contact and/or coalescence between droplets.

In some embodiments, methods for positioning a droplet in a microfluidic network include the steps of providing a microfluidic network comprising a first region (e.g., region 1028 of FIG. 8A) and a microfluidic channel in fluid communication with the first region, flowing a first fluid (e.g., a fluid to be stored) in the microfluidic channel, partitioning a first portion of the first fluid at the first region (at least in part through action of the second fluid) so as to form the first droplet at the first region, and partitioning a second portion of the first fluid at the second region (at least in part through action of the second fluid) so as to form the second droplet at the second region. In some cases, the first and second fluids are immiscible. The first droplet may be formed, positioned and/or maintained at the first region while the first fluid and/or second fluid is flowing in the microfluidic channel. In some embodiments, forming, positioning and/or maintaining the first droplet at the first region does not require the use of a surfactant in the first or second fluids.

Another method of the invention comprises providing a microfluidic network comprising at least a first inlet to a microfluidic channel (e.g., positioned upstream of portion 1006 of FIG. 8), a first region (e.g., region 1028-A) and a second region (e.g., region 1028-B) for forming a first and a second droplet, respectively, the first and second regions in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel. The method can include flowing a first fluid in the microfluidic channel and partitioning a first portion of the first fluid at the first region, at least in part through action of the second fluid, so as to form the first droplet at the first region. The method can also include partitioning a second portion of the first fluid at the second region, at least in part through action of the second fluid, so as to form the second droplet at the second region. In some instances, the first and/or second droplets are maintained at their respective regions while fluid continues to flow in the microfluidic channel.

In some embodiments, a chemical and/or biological process and/or a manipulation process can be carried out in a droplet that is positioned at a region of a microfluidic network (e.g., droplet 1200-A of FIG. 8 while the droplet is positioned in region 1028). For example, a fluid sample in the droplet may undergo a process such as diffusion, evaporation, dilution, and/or precipitation. The droplet may be manipulated, for example, by changing the concentration of the fluid flowing in channel 1002 after the droplet has been formed/positioned at region 1028. In other embodiments, region 1028 is in fluid communication with another fluidic channel, flow path, reservoir, or other structure, e.g., via a semi permeable membrane that may be positioned adjacent the region (e.g., underneath or above region 1028), and manipulation of the droplet can occur via such passages.

Microfluidic network 1000 of FIG. 8 may include additional regions 1001 for forming/storing droplets. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a third fluid can be flowed in the microfluidic channel after flowing of the second fluid. The second and third fluids may be immiscible (while the first and third fluids may be miscible). The third fluid may be partitioned at a second region (e.g., at least in part by flowing of a fourth fluid past the second region) so as to form a second droplet at the second region. Several droplets, each containing different fluid compositions, can be formed and/or stored in regions of a microfluidic network using this process.

In some embodiments, a fluid of defined volume (e.g., a “slug”) can be introduced into microfluidic networks described herein and portions of the fluid can be partitioned into regions of the fluidic network. For example, a slug having a volume of X may be flowed into a network having a plurality of sections 1001 (and regions 1028, having a volume of Y, where Y is less than X) and the slug can be partitioned at each region 1028. The first region may be filled with the fluid in the amount of volume approximately Y (and forming a droplet of the fluid having a volume of approximately Y at the first region), while the remainder of the slug (X−Y or X minus Y) continues to flow down the network. A second region can then be filled with the fluid in the amount of approximately Y (and forming a droplet of the fluid having a volume of approximately Y at the second region), while the remainder of the slug (X-2Y) continues to flow down the network. This process can continue until the slug has a volume of zero. This method allows all of the fluid of the slug, e.g., a sample fluid, to be used in the microfluidic network with no or minimal waste.

As shown in FIG. 9, a microfluidic device 1210 may have a plurality of regions 1001-A-1001-E for forming, storing, and/or maintaining droplets. Microfluidic channel 1012 may first be filled by flowing a filling fluid 1011 in the direction of arrow 1012. Channel 1012 may then be filled by flowing a first fluid 1200 (e.g., in the form of a “slug”) in the same direction. To form droplets of the first fluid, a second fluid 1202 may be flowed in the same direction. At section 1001-A, second fluid bypasses fluid path 1014-A and enters fluid path 1018-A due to the presence of the first fluid at region 1028-A. This causes the partitioning of the first fluid and the formation of droplet 1220-A. The second fluid continues to flow down the network, where it reaches section 1001-B. Due to the presence of first fluid at region 1028-B, the second fluid bypasses fluid path 1014-B and enters fluid path 1018-B. This process can continue until droplets are formed within regions of sections 1001-C, -D, and -E.

In another aspect of the invention, microfluidic structures and methods described herein are designed for containing and positioning components (e.g., beads, cells, and other reactive or non-reactive components) in an arrangement such that the components can be grown, multiplied and/or manipulated and then tracked even after one or more of these processes has taken place.

As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, a microfluidic network 1000 as described above may be used for positioning such and other components. FIG. 10A shows an empty microfluidic channel with arrows that show possible paths for fluid flow. As shown in FIG. 10B, a first fluid 1200 containing reactive components 1230 and 1231 (e.g., a bead comprising an antigen) is flowed into channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012. At upstream portion 1006, a first portion of the fluid flows into fluid path 1014, carrying with it reactive component 1230, while a second portion of the fluid flows into fluid path 1018, carrying with it reactive component 1231. (A portion of fluid may flow into fluid path 1014 before fluid path 1018 if fluid path 1014 is designed to have a lower hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018.) Reactive component may reside in region 1028 if, for example, the size of the reactive component does not allow it to pass through fluid restriction region 1024. In some embodiments, the fluid can continue to pass through this region even though reactive component is present in region 1028, although in other embodiments, there is little or no fluid flow through this region while the reactive component is present in this region. Accordingly, reactive component 1230 is positioned within region 1028 of the microfluidic network. In some embodiments, reactive component 1230 can be maintained at the region even though fluid continues to flow in the microfluidic network (e.g., in the direction of arrow 1012).

Accordingly, a method of the invention comprises providing a microfluidic network comprising at least a first inlet to a microfluidic channel, a first and a second region for positioning a first and a second reactive component, respectively, the first and second regions in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel, wherein the first region is closer in distance to the first inlet than the second region, and flowing a first fluid comprising first and second reactive components in the microfluidic channel. The method may also include positioning the first reactive component at the first region, positioning the second reactive component at the second region, and maintaining the first and second reactive components in the first and second regions, respectively, while a fluid is flowing in the microfluidic channel.

As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10C, reactive component 1231 has now flowed past section 1001, while reactive component 1230 remains at region 1028. A second fluid 1250 may be flowed into channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012, e.g., to introduce another reactive component into the microfluidic network. The second fluid may enter both fluid path 1014 (including region 1028) and fluid path 1018. This second fluid may be miscible with the first fluid and may contain a reactive species 1234 (e.g., a human-antibody). In some cases, reactive species 1234 interacts (e.g., reacts, associates, or binds) with reactive component 1230, e.g., as shown in FIG. 10D. In one particular embodiment, reactive component 1230 includes a binding partner that is complementary to that of reactive species 1234 (e.g., an antibody-antigen binding pair).

Next, a third fluid 1260 may be flowed in channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012, e.g., to introduce yet another reactive component into the microfluidic network. The third fluid may enter both fluid path 1014 (including region 1028) and fluid path 1018. This third fluid may be miscible with the first and/or second fluids and may contain a reactive species 1236 (e.g., an enzyme-linked anti-human antibody). In some cases, reactive species 1236 interacts (e.g., reacts, associates, or binds) with either reactive component 1230 or with reactive species 1234, e.g., as shown in FIG. 10E. In one particular embodiment, reactive component 1230 and/or reactive species 1234 includes a binding partner that is complementary to that of reactive species 1236 (e.g., an labeled-antibody-antigen binding pair). Optionally, a fluid such as a buffer may be flowed in the microfluidic system as a washing step to reduce any non-specific binding.

Optionally, a fourth fluid 1270 (e.g., an oil or a gel) immiscible with the third fluid may be flowed into channel 1002 in the direction of arrow 1012. The fourth fluid may enter region 1028 and, using the methods described above in connection with FIGS. 8 and 9, a droplet (e.g., containing the reactive component(s)) may be formed at the region, as shown in FIG. 10F.

In some embodiments, the positioning or presence of a reactive component at region 1028 causes at least a portion of fluid path 1014 to be plugged such it has a higher hydrodynamic resistance, resulting in less fluid flowing past fluid restriction region 1024 (relative to the absence of the component). This may cause fluid path 1014 to have a higher hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1018. As a result, when subsequent fluids (including additional reactive components) are flowed in the direction of arrow 1012, at least a portion of the subsequent fluids (and reactive components) may bypass flow path 1014 and enter flow path 1018, which now has a lower hydrodynamic resistance than fluid path 1014. Accordingly, once region 1028 has been “filled” with a reactive component, other regions downstream can be filled with reactive components. This allows a plurality of reactive component to be generated/stored sequentially down the length of the channel.

Reactive components may interact with reactive species by various methods. For example, interaction may be between a corresponding pair of components that exhibit mutual affinity or binding capacity, typically specific or non-specific binding or interaction, including biochemical, physiological, and/or pharmaceutical interactions. Biological binding defines a type of interaction that occurs between pairs of components including proteins, (e.g., adhesion proteins), nucleic acids, glycoproteins, carbohydrates, hormones and the like. Specific examples include cell (e.g., cell surface receptor)/protein, adhesion protein/integrin, antibody/antigen, antibody/hapten, enzyme/substrate, enzyme/inhibitor, enzyme/cofactor, binding protein/substrate, carrier protein/substrate, lectin/carbohydrate, receptor/hormone, receptor/effector, complementary strands of nucleic acid, protein/nucleic acid repressor/inducer, ligand/cell surface receptor, virus/ligand, etc.

By carrying out the methods described above in connection with FIG. 10 in a device including a plurality of sections 1001, a plurality of reactive components can be positioned, stored, and/or maintained in the device. This can allow performance of a variety of reactions or analyses such as assays (e.g., ELISA) and PCR.

In some embodiments, reactive components such as cells can be encapsulated in a droplet (e.g., as part of a water-in-oil emulsions). The droplet may contain one or more reactants, nutrients, or drugs. The droplets may act as, for example, picoliter-scale reaction microvessels. Encapsulation can enable reactions involving, for instance, single molecules, such as in vitro translation of proteins from single genes, or DNA amplification of single genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Droplets also provide an excellent method for studies of single, isolated cells, compounds they secrete, and/or growth rates of single cells.

A method involving the use of droplets as microvessels may require incubation and imaging of droplets. Certain existing methods allow collection and imaging of droplets, however, it is difficult to maintain the identity of the droplets. Using the articles and methods described herein, these challenges can be overcome in certain embodiments since each droplet may be associated with a particular region of the microfluidic device.

In one particular embodiment, cells can be encapsulated in a gel by using methods and articles described herein. By encapsulating cells in a hydrogel functionalized with the required reactants, heterogeneous assays can be performed in a three-dimensional scaffold. Placing hydrogels in a microfluidic network such as the one shown in FIG. 10 can allow reactions in a population of individual gels to be tracked over time.

In some embodiments, the microfluidic systems and methods described above and below can be used for containing and positioning cells, which can be grown, multiplied and/or manipulated in the microfluidic system. The cells (and their progeny) can be tracked even after one or more of these processes has taken place.

Genetically identical cells show phenotypic variation, for example during differentiation, development, and in response to environmental stress. The mechanisms of phenotypic variation are not fully understood, yet they are central to our understanding of major questions in biology such as differentiation and ageing. Gene expression patterns can be passed on to progeny cells, however, the mechanisms of non-genetic inheritance are not fully understood. To study phenotypic switching and epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation, the systems and methods described herein can be used to study lineages of single cells and their progeny. For example, in some embodiments, single yeast cells can be trapped in long, thin chambers of a microfluidic device and the cells can be cultured so they grow in a line. This configuration facilitates the following of lineages deriving from a single progenitor cell. Cells can grow and divide in the chambers with typical doubling times, e.g., under constant flow conditions. As described in more detail below, generations of yeast cells can be tracked. The frequency of phenotypic switching of, for example, the GFP (green fluorescent protein)-fusion protein and PH084-GFP, a high affinity phosphate transporter, can also be studied using the methods and devices described herein.

The methods can be applied to yeast cells, and more broadly to any suspension cell including blood cells, stem cells, and other mammalian cells that grow in suspension. This methods are also useful for staining single cells and their lineages: microcolonies deriving from single cells are cultured in the chambers, and then stained. Quantitative imaging can be applied to study correlations between stained entities (protein amount or localization, chromosome position, etc.) and single cell genealogy or replicative age. Moreover, the antibodies and DNA probes required for immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are expensive; performing these assays in microfluidic devices described herein reduces the volume and thus cost of the required reagents. The methods and devices described herein can also enable imaging suspension cells over time.

FIG. 11 is an example of a microfluidic system that can be used for controllably positioning cells or other components in certain regions of the system. As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, micro fluidic system 1300 includes a plurality of chamber units 1308 (and/or, in other embodiments, chamber units 1309) positioned in parallel. The chamber units include a chamber inlet 1312, a chamber outlet 1324, and a chamber 1320 (having a length 1321) in fluid communication with the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, chamber 1320 is in the form of a long linear channel that can be used to position one or more components; however, it should be understood that any suitable shape and/or configuration of the chamber can be used in embodiments described herein. For instance, a chamber channel may be serpentine, curved, tapered, in the form of a reservoir, and the like.

At a downstream portion of chamber 1320 is positioned a fluid restriction region 1328, which, in some embodiments, may be in the form of a narrow channel. This fluid restriction region may allow certain components and/or fluids to pass therethrough, while inhibiting other components and/or fluids from passing therethrough, such that certain components and/or fluids are retained in chamber 1320. In some cases, once one or more components are positioned in a chamber, the position of the component(s) can be maintained in the chamber even during subsequent fluid flow in the chamber. This may occur, in some cases, if the component has an average cross-sectional area that is larger than a cross-sectional area of fluid restriction region 1328.

A fluid restriction region may be positioned at an upstream portion, a downstream portion, or in between an upstream and a downstream portion of the chamber. In some cases, a fluid restriction region is positioned between a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet. In other cases, a fluid restriction region is positioned outside of the chamber. In one embodiment, a fluid restriction region is positioned immediately adjacent a chamber outlet.

It should be understood that any suitable structure can be used as fluid restriction region 1328, which may have a higher hydrodynamic resistance and/or a smaller cross-sectional area for fluid flow than a region immediately upstream or downstream of the fluid restriction region. For instance, fluid restriction region 1328 may be in the form of a narrow fluid path or a channel having the same dimensions as chamber 1320, but having an obstruction (e.g., posts or a valve) positioned in or at that region. In other embodiments, fluid restriction region 1328 may comprise a porous membrane, a semi-permeable plug (e.g., a gel), a valve, or another structure. In some cases, a fluid restriction region is a narrow channel portion that does not include a gel or other structure disposed therein; e.g., the size of the opening of the fluid restriction region alone can be used to trap, immobilize, and/or position components in a chamber fluidly connected to the fluid restriction region.

As shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 11, chamber unit 1308 includes a chamber unit outlet 1344, which is the same as the outlet of fluid restriction region 1328. In chamber 1309, however, chamber unit outlet 1316 is downstream of fluid restriction region 1328. Other configurations of the chamber unit outlet are also possible.

Also included in chambers 1308 and 1309 are chamber bypass channels 1330, which extend from a portion of chamber 1320. One or more chamber bypass channels may extend from an upstream and/or downstream portion of the chamber. In some cases, a chamber bypass channel extends from the chamber between a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 11). In other cases, an inlet of the chamber bypass channel intersects an inlet of the chamber at an intersection.

In some embodiments, a chamber bypass channel has a lower hydrodynamic resistance than a chamber (e.g., prior to and/or after a component has been positioned in the chamber). As described in more detail below, this can allow more fluids and/or components to flow into the chamber bypass channel than the chamber. This arrangement may be useful for applications where it is desirable to position only one, or perhaps a few, components in the chamber. In certain embodiments where it is desirable to flow fluids and/or components out of the chamber bypass channel, the chamber bypass channel does not include any fluid restriction regions. This configuration may prevent any fluids and/or components from being immobilized in the chamber bypass channel. In other embodiments, however, a chamber bypass channel may include one or more fluid restriction regions.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, a plurality of chamber inlets 1312 may be fluidly connected to one or more feed channels 1340, which can allow delivery of fluid and/or components to the chamber inlets. Similarly, chamber outlets 1316 may be connected to one or more drain channels 1344. This arrangement can allow fluids and/or components which are not positioned in chamber 1320 to be collected and, optionally, recycled back into the microfluidic system (e.g., by fluidly connecting a drain channel to a device inlet). Although FIG. 11 shows each of the chamber inlets and chamber outlets being connected to feed channel 1340 and drain channel 1344, it should be understood that other configurations are possible. For example, in some embodiments, a first set of chamber units is connected to a first feed channel, and a second set of chamber units is connected to a second feed channel. In other embodiments, chambers or chamber units may be connected in series such that a chamber unit outlet of a first chamber is connected to a chamber inlet of a second chamber. In yet other embodiments, an outlet of a chamber bypass channel of a first chamber can be connected to an inlet of a second chamber. For example, chamber bypass channel 1330 of chamber unit 1308 may include a chamber bypass channel outlet 1332 that is connected to a chamber inlet 1312 of a second chamber, or between a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet of a second chamber, instead of being connected to drain channel 1344. In yet another embodiment, an outlet of a chamber bypass channel can be connected to a feed channel. In some cases, a combination of the configurations described above can be included in a single microfluidic system. Accordingly, different combinations of chambers positioned in series, parallel, and/or other arrangements can be included in microfluidic systems described herein.

A microfluidic device may include, for example, at least 10, at least 25, at least 50, at least 75, at least 100, at least 150, at least 200, at least 500, or at least 1,000 chambers or chamber units, which may be positioned in series and/or in parallel. The number of chambers or chamber units, in some cases, may depend on and/or may be limited by the size of the device, the size of the chamber units, and/or the application. Optionally, one or more chambers or chamber units may be labeled, e.g., using labels 1372, to identify the chambers or chamber units. Accordingly, any suitable number of chambers or chamber units may be included in a device. In addition, a device may include one or more microfluidic systems 1300 which can allow, for example, experiments under conditions or parameters to be performed simultaneously.

Microfluidic system 1300 may also include one or more device inlets (inlets 1346 and 1348) for introducing one or more fluids into the microfluidic system. As shown in FIG. 11, a filter 1350 may optionally be positioned downstream of inlet 1348 (and/or inlet 1346) and upstream of the chambers and feed channel 1340. This filter can allow, for example, components of certain sizes to be flowed into the chambers, while restricting components of other sizes from entering into the chambers. For example, the filter may allow single components having a particular size to be flowed into the chambers, while restricting agglomeration of components, which have a larger size, from entering into the chambers.

Inlet 1346 may be connected to two channel portions 1362 and 1364, and inlet 1348 may be connected to channel portion 1360. As illustrated, channel portions 1360, 1362, and 1364 may be arranged in a flow focusing arrangement. This arrangement can facilitate focusing of a component within channel portion 1360 towards a center portion of a fluid stream during laminar flow, e.g., when the channel portions intersect at intersection 1366 to form laminar streams of fluid. The fluid can then be introduced into microfluidic channel 1340 via inlet 1368. Other configurations of inlets are also possible.

Fluids flowing in channel portions 1362 and 1364 may be immiscible with a fluid flowing in channel portion 1360, which may allow formation of droplets of the fluid flowing in channel portion 1360 at or near inlet 1368 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the fluids in channel portions 1360, 1362 and 1364 are miscible.

As described herein, a microfluidic system may be used to position one or more components in one or a series of regions (e.g., “microwells” or “chambers”). A variety of different components can be positioned at a region, including, for example, droplets, cells (e.g., bacterial, yeast, mammalian and stem cells), beads, tissues, and other entities. The number of components positioned at a region may depend on the size of the region. In some cases, a region (or a component) may have a dimension, such as a length, width, and/or height, of less than or equal to about 500 μm, less than or equal to about 250 μm, less than or equal to about 100 μm, less than or equal to about 50 μm, less than or equal to about 25 μm, less than or equal to about 10 μm, less than or equal to about 8 μm, or less than or equal to about 1 μm. The volume of the region (or component) can also vary; for example, the region (or component) may have a volume of less than or equal to about 50 μL, less than or equal to about 10 μL, less than or equal to about 1 μl, less than or equal to about 100 nL, less than or equal to about 10 nL, less than or equal to about 1 nL, less than or equal to about 100 μL, or less than or equal to about 10 μL. In certain embodiments, a region (or a component) may have a length of at least 1 μm, at least 10 μm, at least 25 μm, at least 50 μm, at least 100 μm, at least 200 μm, at least 250 μm, at least 500 μm, or at least 1,000 μm. Long regions may be suitable for positioning a large number of components at the region.

To position components in chamber of microfluidic system 1300, a first fluid stream including a plurality of components (e.g., cells) may be introduced into inlet 1348. Agglomeration of cells may be captured by filter 1350, e.g., a size exclusion filter, while allowing un-agglomerated cells to pass therethrough. A second fluid (e.g., a buffer solution) may be introduced into inlet 1346, and this fluid can flow into channel portions 1362 and 1364. The first fluid including the components may be focused as they pass through inlet 1368 into feed channel 1340. Since feed channel 1340 fluidly connects to a series of chamber inlets, the feed channel can distribute the fluids and the components to various chambers.

The geometry of the channels of the microfluidic system, the flow rate of the first and second fluids, and the concentration (or density) of the components in the first fluid can be chosen so as to allow delivery of a certain number of components into each of the chambers. For example, these parameters can be chosen such that at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% of the chambers contain a predetermined number of components positioned therein. For instance, in one embodiment, only a single component is delivered to at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% of the chambers of a microfluidic system. This can be achieved, in part, by designing the chambers to have a cross-sectional area on the order of the cross-sectional area of the component to be positioned. In addition, fluid restriction region 1328 may be designed such that introduction of a single component into the chamber channel substantially blocks or reduces fluid flow through this region. (In other embodiments, the fluid restriction region may be designed such that the introduction of exactly two components, or exactly three components, etc., causes substantial blockage of fluid flow through the fluid restriction region.) This blockage or reduction in fluid flow can result in the chamber being “filled”, causing the chamber to have a higher hydrodynamic resistance than an empty chamber. Thus, fluid and components flowing in channel 1340 may prefer to flow into empty chambers (and/or through a chamber bypass channel) having a lower hydrodynamic resistance. The flow rate and the concentration (or density) of components in the fluids can also be adjusted to control the number of components in each chamber. This control can allow, for example, multiple experiments to be performed in parallel under similar or the exact same conditions.

Accordingly, a method may include flowing a fluid containing a plurality of components in a microfluidic system comprising a chamber having a flow direction, a chamber inlet, a chamber outlet, and a chamber bypass channel extending from the chamber between the chamber inlet and the chamber outlet. The method may also include positioning a component in the chamber, the chamber having a cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, less than 2 times the largest cross-sectional area of the component perpendicular to the flow direction. A fluid may be flowed through the chamber while maintaining the component at its position in the chamber, and a portion of the plurality of components may be flowed in the chamber bypass channel.

As described herein, the dimensions of the chamber and fluid restriction region 1328 may be chosen such that a component, or a series of components, can be positioned, maintained, or trapped in the chamber channel without exiting the chamber via fluid restriction region 1328. In some cases, this positioning, maintaining, or trapping take place even while fluid continues to flow through fluid restriction region 1328. The fluid may be flowed at a substantially constant flow rate, at varying flow rates, or flow may take place periodically. This fluid flow may be important for applications that involve treating or manipulating the component(s) after it has been positioned in the chamber channel. For example, a continuous or periodic flow of nutrients may be supplied to cells that are trapped in a chamber channel. These nutrients can facilitate the growth and/or multiplication of the cells. Flow of dyes can allow the cells to be tagged and identified. In other embodiments, components that are positioned in a chamber can be subjected to a stress (e.g., different buffers, nutrients, or exposure to drugs) and the response of different components to the stress can be determined. Other applications are described in more detail below.

Flow of fluid (e.g., media) through the chambers is important for cell culture and also allows the cells to be exposed to controlled environmental changes, as well as immunostaining. Immunofluorescence of suspension cells is generally challenging. For yeast, the cell wall is typically enzymatically removed, and the cells are attached to a substrate using a chemical crosslinker. The cells are then fixed and permeabilized. Other suspension cells are typically centrifuged onto a surface-treated, glass microscope slide before staining. Moreover, immunostaining techniques for suspension cells are typically not compatible with live cell imaging. Using the methods and systems described herein, however, live cells can be positioned and tracked controllably in regions of a microfluidic device, and environmental conditions can be varied, for example, by changing the fluids flowed in the region.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the dimensions of the chamber can be chosen such that components in the chamber are positioned in a predetermined configuration. For example, the dimensions of the chamber may be chosen such that a series of components are generally aligned in the chamber. As used herein, “generally aligned” means no greater than 20% of the components in a chamber have the same position along the direction of bulk fluid flow in the chamber. The position of the components along the direction of bulk fluid flow can be determined by taking the cross-section of the component, perpendicular to the direction of (bulk) fluid flow in the chamber, which cross-section passes through the center of the component between two opposed points of a surface/surfaces of the component. For example, as shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 12A, chamber 1320 includes a plurality of components 1390 that are generally aligned because less than 20% of the components in the chamber have the same position along the direction of bulk fluid flow, indicated by arrow 1395. The cross-section 1392-A of component 1390-A, perpendicular to bulk fluid flow, is shown to pass through the center of the component, and the component has a position 1391 (relative to the direction of bulk fluid flow). Component 1390-A has a different position along the direction of bulk fluid flow than that of components 1390-B or 1390-C. Component 1390-B has a cross-section 1392-B perpendicular to bulk fluid flow and component 1390-C has a cross-section 1392-C perpendicular to bulk fluid flow. Both of these cross-sections, and therefore both components 1390-B and 1390-C, have the same position relative to the direction of bulk fluid flow.

In some cases, no greater than 15%, 10%, 5%, or 2% of the components in a chamber have the same position along the direction of bulk fluid flow in the chamber. For example, sometimes 100% of the components in a chamber have different positions along the direction of bulk fluid flow in the chamber. When no greater than 5% of the components in a chamber have the same position along the direction of bulk fluid flow in the chamber, the components may be aligned “in a single line” in the chamber, as shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12B.

Aligned or generally aligned components can assist in identification of the components in a chamber. For example, if the components are cells derived from one cell, this configuration may be useful for tracking the lineology of the cells. In order to achieve the positioning of aligned or generally aligned components, the chamber may have a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction that is, for example, less than 2 times the largest cross-sectional area of the component perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction. In some cases, the chamber has a cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction, that is less than 10 times, 7 times, 5 times, or 3 times the cross-sectional area of a component perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction.

In some embodiments, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% of the components in a chamber have a largest cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, of between 0.1 and 1.0 times (or between 0.3 and 1.0 times, or between 0.5 and 1.0 times) the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction. It should be understood that the cross-sectional area may be static or dynamic, e.g., depending on the materials used to form the chamber. For example, a chamber may comprise an elastomer that allows it to expand upon having a high pressure in the chamber, or a large component positioned in the chamber. If a component completely blocks a portion of the chamber, even causing the chamber to expand, the largest cross-sectional area of the component perpendicular to the flow direction may be the same as (e.g., 1.0 times) the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction.

In one particular embodiment, a system comprises a microfluidic device comprising an inlet, an outlet, a chamber having a (bulk) flow direction, and a flow restriction region fluidly connected to the outlet of the chamber. A plurality of cells may be generally aligned in the chamber, wherein at least 80% of the cells have a largest cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, of between 0.1 and 1.0 times the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction. In other embodiments, these dimensions are between 0.3 and 1.0 times, or between 0.5 and 1.0 times the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction. The flow restriction region may be constructed and arranged to allow a fluid but not the cells to pass therethrough, thereby allowing the cells to be maintained in their positions in the chamber.

In certain embodiments, the chamber has a cross-sectional area having a different shape than a cross-sectional area of the component. For instance, the component may be round and the cross-sectional area of the chamber channel may be square. This shape difference can allow the components to be trapped in the chamber, but may allow fluids to pass the component at the corners of the chamber. Thus, a component may have a largest cross-sectional area, perpendicular to the flow direction, of less than 1.0 times, less than 0.8 times, or less than 0.5 times the cross-sectional area of the chamber perpendicular to the flow direction.

A cross-sectional area (or an average cross-sectional area) of a chamber (or a component) perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction may be, for example, about 10,000 μm² or less, about 5,000 μm² or less, about 2,500 μm² or less, about 1,000 μm² or less, about 500 μm² or less, about 250 μm² or less, about 100 μm² or less, about 50 μm² or less, about 30 μm² or less, about 20 μm² or less, about 10 μm² or less, or about 5 μm² or less. As mentioned above, the cross-sectional area of a chamber may be chosen depending on factors such as the size of the components at or to be flowed in the chamber. The ratio of average cross-sectional areas of the chamber and the components (both measured perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction) may be, for example, less than 20:1, less than 10:1, less than 5:1, less than 3:1, less than 2:1, or less than 1.5:1. Additionally or alternatively, the cross-sectional area of a chamber may be chosen depending on factors such as the cross-sectional area of a fluid restriction region, the number and type of components, and/or the fluids to be flowed in the system. The ratio of average cross-sectional areas of the chamber and a fluid restriction region (both measured perpendicular to the (bulk) flow direction) may be, for example, greater than 1:1, greater than 2:1, greater than 5:1, greater than 10:1, or greater than 25:1. In some cases, the ratio is between 3:1 and 8:1.

A cross-sectional area (or an average cross-sectional area) of a fluid restriction region (or the average cross-sectional area of the combined fluid paths in the case of a porous membrane or other structure having a plurality of fluid paths) may be, for example, about 5,000 μm² or less, about 2,500 μm² or less, about 1,000 μm² or less, about 500 μm² or less, about 250 μm² or less, about 100 μm² or less, about 50 μm² or less, about 30 μm² or less, about 20 μm² or less, about 10 μm² or less, or about 5 μm² or less, or about 1 μm² or less. In some cases, the cross-sectional area of a fluid restriction region may be chosen depending on factors such as the cross-sectional area of the chamber, the number, type and size of components, and the fluids to be flowed in the system.

In some embodiments, cells are positioned in a chamber and are allowed to multiply. Further analyses may involve comparing a characteristic of a first cell from a first generation to a characteristic of a second cell from a second generation. Additionally or alternatively, the cells can be subjected to a stress and/or a condition, and the response of one or more cells to the stress or condition can be determined. For example, comparative analyses may be performed by determining the response of at least two cells to a stress under controlled conditions.

Understanding how populations of single cells respond to environmental changes provides critical insights into variability in biological response, from differentiation to multi-drug resistance. Imaging populations of single cells is challenging for cells that are not adherent. Suspension cells can be trapped in wells, however, it may be difficult to image non-adherent cells under changing environmental conditions. Budding yeast cells can adhere to treated surfaces (e.g. concanavalin A or agar pads), however, newly budded yeast cells may not adhere under flow conditions. Moreover, yeast cells bud in multiple dimensions (e.g., different focal planes), challenging the analysis of populations of cells over time. Using the devices described herein, individual cells can be placed in an array, cultured, imaged in a single focal plane, and can be subjected to changing conditions. Furthermore, the microfluidic systems described herein can be fabricated on a microscope slide, which can facilitate imaging and viewing of the systems. Accordingly, multiple flow experiments can be performed in parallel for the simultaneous study and/or comparison of different flow conditions or cell types.

It should be understood that a variety of different cells can be used in devices described herein. Non-limiting examples include yeast cells, bacteria, stem cells, and suspension cells. In some embodiments, the cells are round while the chambers are square, allowing for flow past the cells. Other geometries of chambers can also be used.

Certain existing methods for time-lapse microscopy of budding yeast under flow require that the cells are wedged into a chamber much smaller than the height of the cells themselves, so that they do not move during flow; however in such chambers, the cells are subjected to mechanical stress, which may affect the observed response. In addition, certain other existing methods allow cells to grow in a 2D plane, but the cells are randomly distributed in chambers and cannot be subjected to controlled flow conditions, making it difficult to obtain data on many single cell lineages in a single experiment as microcolonies interdigitate as they grow. Using the devices described herein can allow for fixing and staining of populations of single cells without imposing mechanical stress on the cells, while allowing precise positioning and control of the numbers of cells, and manipulation of cells, in chambers.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are bright field and fluorescence images, respectively, showing a plurality of chambers units 1308 including chambers 1320. An array of single, fluorescently tagged cells 1398 is positioned in the chambers. A group of cells 1399 is present in one of the chambers, and some chambers do not include any cells. The cells are prevented from reaching chamber outlet 1316 or from flowing downstream by fluid restriction region 1328.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are bright field and fluorescence images, respectively, showing a plurality of cells in chambers 1308, which cells have grown from single cells similar to the ones shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B. Thus, cells can be multiplied in a chamber to form at least 2, at least 5, at least 10, at least 20, at least 50, or at least 100 progeny from a single cell. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the cells are generally aligned as they multiply.

As shown in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 15A-15B, cells 1498 can be positioned and/or grown in single lines in chambers 1410 of a micro fluidic network 1400. In some embodiments, microfluidic network 1400 may have the same configuration as network 1000 of FIG. 10, and chambers 1410 may be equivalent to regions 1028. Fluid restriction region 1420 restricts cells 1498 from flowing downstream in the direction of arrow 1430. A plurality of chambers 1410 may be positioned in series (as shown in FIGS. 15A-15B), and/or in parallel. In this particular embodiment, yeast cells (S. cerevisiae, s288c) are positioned in the form of a line in chamber 1410 at time=0 (FIG. 15A). The cells are round while the channels have a cross-sectional area in the shape of a square, so media (e.g., rich yeast media, YPD) can be continuously flowed through the channels (e.g., in the direction of channel 1430, although the reverse direction is also possible in certain embodiments). Since the channels are as wide as the cells, the cells are constrained to grow in a line. FIGS. 15A-15B show a time-course of images illustrating cell growth.

As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 16A-16C, generations of cells 1498 cultured in a region of a microfluidic device can be tracked. FIG. 16A shows yeast cells expressing a fluorescent protein (S. cerevisiae, HXK1-GFP), which are grown in a chamber 1410. The design of this microfluidic network (e.g., microfluidic network 1000 of FIG. 10) provides an efficient method for making an array of single cells in regions of the device. These particular images were imaged by confocal laser scanning microscopy after ˜20 hour incubation and growth shows variations in levels of gene expression (proportional to fluorescence intensity) through generations of cells. Cells can also be stained by other fluorescent probes in these chambers.

FIGS. 17A-17C show additional photographs of a chamber of a microfluidic network that can be used for growing and imaging cells. Here, the photographs show yeast cells expressing a fluorescent protein (S. cerevisiae, HXK1-GFP) after growth in a region of a microfluidic device. These regions can allow for yeast cells, including newly budded yeast cells, to be imaged over time under flow. This enables analysis of variations in response of populations of single cells to changing environmental conditions.

FIGS. 18A-18C show the tracking of a lineage of yeast cells in a chamber. As shown in FIG. 18A, at time=0, cells 1 and 1-1 are positioned in chamber 1450 (where cell 1-1 previously budded from cell 1). As shown in FIG. 18B, the cells have multiplied further. Because the cells can bud to the right or left of a cell, cell 1-1 is now shifted and is positioned at a downstream portion of the chamber at time=480 min. The tracking of the cells can be performed by time lapse microscopy and a chart, such as the one shown in FIG. 18C, can be drawn based on this data.

As described herein, cells (or other components) can be labeled with an identifier (e.g., a dye, a probe, etc.) that identifies a particular portion of the cell and/or a particular process occurring in the cell. For example, cells labeled with GFP may show a certain level of gene expression within the cell. By combining this identification technique with methods described herein (e.g., the multiplication and tracking of cells in a chamber), gene expression of a lineage of cells can be tracked as a function of a cell's replicative age or history. In addition, these techniques may be useful for studying phenomena such as the age effects of DNA repair, how cells of different age respond to stress (e.g., exposure to different growth conditions, to a drug, and/or to a change in temperature (e.g., a heat shock), the stress of being in a densely packed environment, etc.), how gene expression levels depend on the family history of cells, and frequency of cell phenotype switching events. In some cases, these and other phenomena can be studied as a function of a cell's replicative age or history using the systems and methods described herein.

FIG. 19 shows a plurality of cells in a chamber with different intensities of fluorescence (the higher then number meaning greater fluorescence); these different intensities show that each of the cells has a different level of gene expression. The different fluorescent intensities of the cells can also aid in the tracking the cells (e.g., to form the chart shown in FIG. 18C) since each cell is “labeled” by having a different intensity.

FIGS. 20A and 20B show yeast cells grown in a chamber 1452 having a plurality of branching channels 1452 in the form of a grid. Areas 1456 do not contain channels and, therefore, these areas do not contain cells. FIGS. 20A and 20B are inverted fluorescence images (e.g., cells that are dark are very bright with GFP). The cells are grown in different media: YPD (FIG. 20A) and synthetic dextrose media, SD (FIG. 20B). In the YPD media, all cells are “ON” (e.g., they fluoresce) because they all express pPH084-GFP (i.e., GFP expressed under the control of the PH084 promoter, where PH084 is a high-affinity phosphate transporter). In the SD media (FIG. P2), some cells are “ON” and some are “OFF”. These figures show that the type of media can cause cells to vary gene expression. These conditions can be varied and studied using microfluidic systems described herein.

FIG. 21 shows cells grown in SD media and then cultured in the chambers of a microfluidic system similar to the one shown in FIG. 11. In these conditions, some cells (cells 1460) are “ON” and others (cells 1462) are “OFF”. These lineages of cells can maintain the same phenotype for at least 7 generations.

In some cases, certain strains of the GFP-fusion collection showed a bimodal distribution of phenotypes (“ON” vs. “OFF”) after culture from the harsh climate of a freezer. Despite being genetically identical, these cells switch phenotype, and their progeny inherit this phenotype; this provides a model system to study epigenetic mechanisms in gene regulation. The systems and methods described herein can be used to identify colonies and/or conditions in which cells switch. This information may be relevant to the understanding of gene regulation in yeast cells, and more broadly, to the understanding of epigenetic timescales in adaptation and differentiation.

FIG. 22 shows a FISH staining using cDNA probes that bind to particular sequences of the cells' DNA. In this particular figure, the cDNA probes labeled the telomeres of the cells. The staining process involved heating the cells in the channel.

FIGS. 23A-23C show a screen of a GFP library of yeast cells positioned in a chamber. The cells were grown from a single cell that was under the stress of being grown in a densely packed environment. All cells were labeled with GFP, however, the cells show different levels of gene expression (and, therefore, have different fluorescent intensities) due to a change in environmental conditions (e.g., exposure to a different buffer). FIG. 23A is a fluorescent image, FIG. 23B is a brightfield image, and FIG. 23C is an overlay of fluorescent and brightfield images.

FIGS. 24A-24E show different levels of gene expression in cells that are exposed to various buffers. Yeast cells were labeled with HXK1-GFP (hexokinase isoenzyme). FIGS. 24A-24C show cells exposed to a synthetic dextrose buffer. Different cells had different levels of gene expression in this buffer. FIG. 24D shows cells exposed to YP-glycerol and FIG. 25E shows cells in a YP-galactose buffer; all of the cells had high levels of gene expression in these two buffers.

In other experiments, yeast cells were exposed to different concentrations of phosphate. High concentrations of phosphate caused the cells to turn “OFF”, e.g., the cells having low levels of gene expression. Low concentrations of phosphate caused the cells to turn “ON”, e.g., the cells having high levels of gene expression. Intermediate concentrations of phosphate caused the cells to enter into a bistable system where some progeny turned “ON”, and some turned “OFF”, the different levels switching every few generations.

In some embodiments, regions of a fluidic network such as microchannels, microwells, and/or chambers are defined by voids in the structure. A structure can be fabricated of any material suitable for forming a fluidic network. Non-limiting examples of materials include polymers (e.g., polystyrene, polycarbonate, PDMS), glass, and silicon. Those of ordinary skill in the art can readily select a suitable material based upon e.g., its rigidity, its inertness to (i.e., freedom from degradation by) a fluid to be passed through it, its robustness at a temperature at which a particular device is to be used, its hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, and/or its transparency/opacity to light (i.e., in the ultraviolet and visible regions).

In some instances, a device is comprised of a combination of two or more materials, such as the ones listed above. For instance, the channels of the device may be formed in a first material (e.g., PDMS), and a substrate can be formed in a second material (e.g., glass).

Fluid channels and/or components described herein may have maximum cross-sectional dimensions less than 2 mm, and in some cases, less than 1 mm. In one set of embodiments, all fluid channels containing embodiments of the invention are microfluidic or have a largest cross-sectional dimension of no more than 2 mm or 1 mm. In another embodiment, the fluid channels may be formed in part by a single component (e.g., an etched substrate or molded unit). Of course, larger channels, tubes, chambers, reservoirs, etc. can be used to store fluids in bulk and to deliver fluids to components of the invention. In one set of embodiments, the maximum cross-sectional dimension of the channel(s) or regions described herein are less than about 500 microns, less than about 200 microns, less than about 100 microns, less than about 50 microns, or less than about 25 microns. In some cases the dimensions of the channel may be chosen such that fluid is able to freely flow through the article or substrate. The dimensions of the channel may also be chosen, for example, to allow a certain volumetric or linear flowrate of fluid in the channel. Of course, the number of channels and the shape of the channels can be varied by any method known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In some cases, more than one channel or capillary may be used. For example, two or more channels may be used, where they are positioned inside each other, positioned adjacent to each other, positioned to intersect with each other, etc.

A “channel,” as used herein, means a feature on or in an article (substrate) that at least partially directs the flow of a fluid. The channel can have any cross-sectional shape (circular, oval, triangular, irregular, square or rectangular, or the like) and can be covered or uncovered. In embodiments where it is completely covered, at least one portion of the channel can have a cross-section that is completely enclosed, or the entire channel may be completely enclosed along its entire length with the exception of its inlet(s) and outlet(s). A channel may also have an aspect ratio (length to average cross sectional dimension) of at least 2:1, more typically at least 3:1, 5:1, or 10:1 or more. An open channel generally will include characteristics that facilitate control over fluid transport, e.g., structural characteristics (an elongated indentation) and/or physical or chemical characteristics (hydrophobicity vs. hydrophilicity) or other characteristics that can exert a force (e.g., a containing force) on a fluid. The fluid within the channel may partially or completely fill the channel. In some cases where an open channel is used, the fluid may be held within the channel, for example, using surface tension (i.e., a concave or convex meniscus).

The channels of the device may be hydrophilic or hydrophobic in order to minimize the surface free energy at the interface between a material that flows within the channel and the walls of the channel. For instance, if the formation of aqueous droplets in an oil is desired, the walls of the channel can be made hydrophobic. If the formation of oil droplets in an aqueous fluid is desired, the walls of the channels can be made hydrophilic.

In some cases, the device is fabricated using rapid prototyping and soft lithography. For example, a high resolution laser printer may be used to generate a mask from a CAD file that represents the channels that make up the fluidic network. The mask may be a transparency that may be contacted with a photoresist, for example, SU-8 photoresist, to produce a negative master of the photoresist on a silicon wafer. A positive replica of PDMS may be made by molding the PDMS against the master, a technique known to those skilled in the art. To complete the fluidic network, a flat substrate, e.g., a glass slide, silicon wafer, or a polystyrene surface, may be placed against the PDMS surface and plasma bonded together, or may be fixed to the PDMS using an adhesive. To allow for the introduction and receiving of fluids to and from the network, holes (for example 1 millimeter in diameter) may be formed in the PDMS by using an appropriately sized needle. To allow the fluidic network to communicate with a fluid source, tubing, for example of polyethylene, may be sealed in communication with the holes to form a fluidic connection. To prevent leakage, the connection may be sealed with a sealant or adhesive such as epoxy glue.

In some embodiments, the microfluidic networks described herein can be combined with one or more microfluidic components such as valves, pumps, droplet formation regions (e.g., in the form of a flow-focusing device), membranes, as well as those described in U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/925,357, filed Apr. 19, 2007, and entitled “Manipulation of Fluids and Reactions in Microfluidic Systems”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Any of a number of valves and/or pumps, including peristaltic valves and/or pumps, suitable for use in a fluidic network such as that described herein can be selected by those of ordinary skill in the art including, but not limited to, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,194, “Valves and Pumps for Microfluidic Systems and Methods for Making Microfluidic Systems”, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,753, “Method of Making a Microfabricated Elastomeric Valve,” which are incorporated herein by reference.

The following examples are intended to illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention, but are not to be construed as limiting and do not exemplify the full scope of the invention.

Example 1

This example shows the design, fabrication, and operation of a microfluidic system for positioning, trapping and storing single cells in chambers according to one embodiment of the invention.

An array of chambers was designed to position, trap and store cells, the chambers having a configuration such as the ones shown in FIG. 11. Chambers were designed to have a flow restriction region at one end of the chamber such that cells would be trapped when they flowed into the chambers. Once a cell was positioned in a chamber, this increased the hydrodynamic resistance of the chamber. This caused subsequent cells in the fluid to enter a bypass channel extending from the chamber, instead of the chamber itself. This method allowed the formation of an array of single cells in the chambers.

In this example, the chambers were designed so they were just as wide as a single cell, with dimensions 5 μm high, 5 μm wide, and 400 μm long. Because of this restriction in height and width of the chamber, the cells were constrained to grow in a single line. While the cross-sections of the cells were approximately round, the chambers were approximately square, enabling media to be continually perfused through the chambers even while the cells were positioned in the chamber. The volume of a single chamber was 10,000 μm³ and there was approximately 3,500 μm³ free volume when the chamber was filled with cells. For longer-term culture applications, a porous membrane can be incorporated into the device (e.g., a porous may form one surface of the chamber), which may allow for additional media exchange along the length of the chamber. Examples of semi-permeable membranes are described in more detail in International Patent Apl. Serial No. PCT/US2006/034659, filed Sep. 7, 2006, entitled “Microfluidic Manipulation of Fluids and Reactions”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Before the cells reached the chambers, they were passed through a filter that was fabricated on-chip for both media and cell inlets. The smallest pore size of the filter was 5 μm, so aggregates of cells remained trapped in the filter. This filter helped to achieve the flow of only single cells (instead of agglomerations of cells) into the chamber array.

Over the time course of the experiments, cells trapped in the filter continued to grow. To avoid dislodged budding cells from the filter and contaminating cell lineages in the chamber array, a flow-focusing junction was included in the device design. During loading, media flowed in from the side channels (e.g., channels portions 1362 and 1364 of FIG. 11) at a low flow rate and focused the stream of cells (e.g., flowing from channel portion 1360) so they entered the chamber array. When loading was complete, the flow of cells was stopped and the media flow rate was increased. While some of the media flowed into the chamber array, media also flowed upstream into the channel containing the cells (e.g., channel portion 1360) and the filter. This upstream flow can prevent agglomerated and other cells trapped in the channel or filter from reaching the chambers.

Typical loading efficiencies of single cells in the chambers ranged from about 50-90%, e.g., depending on the flow conditions and the cell density. The majority of the remaining chambers were empty, and in a few instances cases, contained multiple cells. The loading efficiencies can be optimized by varying one or both of the flow rate and cell density. For example, in some cases, a loading flow rate of 95 μL/hr with approximately 10⁷ cells/mL in the loading solution filled at least half of the chambers with a single cell after approximately 5 minutes of loading. In other cases, a concentration of approximately 10⁶ cells/mL was used. Depending on the flow rate and other conditions, an increase of the cell concentration or the loading time may lead to the positioning of multiple cells per chamber.

In chambers of these dimensions used in this experiment, over 100 cells derived from a single cell were captured in each chamber. Chambers may also be made longer to follow more generations. Over the course of 1000-1500 minutes, a relatively constant division time was observed, even for cells positioned adjacent the flow constriction region. This may suggest that the division of cells was not limited by the number of cells in the chamber (or by the dimensions of the chamber).

Once the cells are loaded in the chambers, a buffer was flowed through the chambers at rates of 55 μL/hr. Based on the volume of the device, the media was exchanged on timescales much less than the division time of the cells.

To evaluate growth of cells in the progeny chambers, cells were tracked using time-lapse microscopy. Images were acquired every 7 minutes. The average cell division time was comparable to bulk growth rates.

The chambers facilitated fast and efficient qualitative screening of single cells and their progeny. At the end of an experiment, images of the lines of cells were acquired. The number of single cells in “ON” and “OFF” states was easily determined by simple analysis of the proportion of light to dark channels. The chambers also made it easy to investigate switching frequency for single cells.

For more detailed analysis of cells and their progeny, time-lapse imaging and analysis was performed. It was observed that cells and their closest progeny remained relatively close to each other within the channel, however, recently budded cells sometimes squeezed past each other in the chamber and disrupted the genealogical order of the cells. Furthermore, while the haploid cells typically budded from the same end, they occasionally reoriented in the channels and budded from the other side. The cells and their lineology were tracked manually. However, the cells may also be tracked automatically, e.g., using software that can identify individual cells (e.g., based on differences in fluorescence intensity).

The chambers allowed for growth of cells to densities higher than that which can normally be obtained in traditional laboratory conditions, for example, up to 1×10¹⁰ cells/mL. This may facilitate studies of high density cell cultures, such as those found in nature.

With slight modifications in size, the progeny chambers may also be used for the culture of other suspension cells, such as mammalian blood cells or stem cells. By treating the channels with appropriate surface coating(s) (e.g., fibronectin), adherent cells may also be grown in the chambers.

Device fabrication. The microfluidic device used in this example was fabricated as follows. The designs for the chambers were generated in AutoCad. Chrome masks were printed on quartz (HTA Photomask, Calif.) and soft lithography was used to create polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices. In brief, a SU8 2005 photoresist (MicroChem, Newton, Mass.) was spin-coated onto a silicon wafer (rinsed with methanol and prebaked for 10 minutes at 210° C.) to a final thickness of 5 μm following the protocol described by the manufacturer. A mask was placed on top of the wafer and exposed to UV light for 12 seconds. Exposure of the photoresist to UV light (OAI, San Jose, Calif.) crosslinked the exposed pattern, and the non-exposed photoresist was dissolved away using propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA). The channel height was confirmed to be 5 μm using a scanning profilometer (Stylus). PDMS was mixed with a crosslinker at a ratio of 10:1, and poured onto the master (Sylgard 184 Silicone Elastomer, Dow Corning, Midland, Mich.). Devices were placed in a vacuum to rid the PDMS of air bubbles for at least 5 minutes before baking at 65° C. overnight. A biopsy punch (0.75 mm diameter, Harris Uni-Core, Ted Pella Inc., Redding, Calif.) was used to punch entry and exit holes in the PDMS. The PDMS was then oxygen plasma treated and bonded to a LabTek chamber with a no. 1.5 coverslip bottom (Nunc). The chambers were found to be most stable during the course of scanning the stage and automated image acquisition.

Loading. The microfluidic device was loaded with the yeast cells as follows. Yeast cells (S. cerevisiae) were cultured in YPD at 30° C. to a density of OD600˜0.1 and were washed three times in SD media, and diluted 100-fold. A dilute suspension of the yeast cells and perfusion media were loaded into 1 mL plastic syringes (BD, VWR). Needles (luer-lok, 27½ gauge) were connected to the syringes, and the syringes were inverted to remove all air bubbles. The needles were then connected to PE-20 tubing (VWR/ALA Scientific Instruments Inc., Westbury, N.Y.). Syringe pumps (Kent/Harvard Apparatus) were used to control fluid flow. To begin, a piece of tubing was inserted into the exit port for waste collection, and the cell inlet was blocked with a plug. Plugs were fabricated by holding the tip of a 2″ long piece of PE-20 briefly in a flame, and then placing the melted end of the tubing between two flat objects. This formed a nice handle making the plug easy to hold. The remaining long end of the tubing was cut to make a short stub. With the plug inserted in the cell entry port, media was flowed through the media entry port of the device until the chambers were filled with fluid. The plug was then replaced with the cell tubing. Cells were loaded using flow rates of 95 μL/hr cells and 15 μL/hr media. When about half of the chambers were filled with single cells, the cell tubing was removed from the syringe needle, and the media flow was increased to 45 μL/hr. This flow rate was maintained for the remainder of the experiment.

The cells were stained by connecting a media syringe to a three-way stopcock (Small Parts). A syringe full of fixation medium/staining medium was attached to the third entry of the stopcock at the end of a growth experiment. The staining media was then flowed through the chambers. The chambers were imaged by placing the chambers on the stage of an inverted microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 200M). A timelapse series of images were acquired at different stage positions. Confocal microscopy was performed on a Zeiss microscope.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present invention. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present invention is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present invention.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of”, when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for partitioning a fluid sample, the method comprising: providing a microfluidic device having a substrate comprising a plurality of microwells in fluid communication with an inlet; introducing a first fluid into the inlet of the microfluidic device, the first fluid comprising a biological sample and a plurality of beads, each bead comprising a reactive component for binding a target molecule from the biological sample to the bead; introducing a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid into the microfluidic device and flowing the second fluid towards each of the plurality of microwells so as to form partitions of fluid in corresponding microwells, wherein at least some of the partitions include a subvolume of the first fluid, a portion of the biological sample, and more than one bead; and maintaining each partition of fluid in corresponding microwells for detection of contents in each partition of fluid.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a subset of the partitions do not include any beads and a second subset of the partitions each include a single bead.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein each partition of fluid is separated from the others by the second fluid.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second fluid is an oil.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring one or more of the partitions of fluid and detecting, with an optical detector, emissions from one or more detectable labels associated with one or more beads.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the presence of the target molecules based on the detection of emissions.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical detector is a fluorescence detector.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising measuring, with the fluorescence detector, an intensity of a fluorescent signal emitted from at least one of the detectable labels.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising capturing one or more images of a fluorescent signal emitted from at least one of the detectable labels.
 10. The method of claim 5, wherein, upon a reaction in at least one partition of fluid, the emissions are emitted from one or more of the detectable labels.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reaction is a polymerase-chain reaction (PCR).
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target molecule is a single biological molecule.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the target molecule is a protein.
 14. A method for partitioning a fluid sample, the method comprising: providing a microfluidic device having a substrate comprising a plurality of regions in fluid communication with an inlet; introducing an aqueous fluid into the inlet of the microfluidic device, the aqueous fluid comprising a biological sample and a plurality of beads, each bead comprising a reactive component for binding a target protein molecule from the biological sample to the bead; partitioning the aqueous fluid into a plurality of fluid partitions confined within a plurality of corresponding regions of the substrate by introducing a second fluid immiscible with the aqueous fluid into the microfluidic device and flowing the second fluid towards the plurality of regions, wherein for a subset of the fluid partitions, each fluid partition of the subset comprises a subvolume of the aqueous fluid and more than one bead; and maintaining each fluid partition of the subset in a corresponding region for detection of contents therein.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein each fluid partition is at least partially surrounded by the second fluid.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second fluid comprises an oil.
 17. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring one or more of the fluid partitions and detecting, with an optical detector, emissions from one or more detectable labels associated with one or more beads and determining the presence of target protein molecules based on the detection of emissions.
 18. A method for partitioning a fluid sample, the method comprising: providing a microfluidic device having a substrate comprising a plurality of microwells in fluid communication with an inlet; introducing an aqueous fluid into the inlet of the microfluidic device, the aqueous fluid comprising a biological sample and a plurality of beads, each bead comprising a reactive component for binding a target molecule from the biological sample to the bead; introducing a second fluid immiscible with the aqueous fluid into the microfluidic device and flowing the second fluid towards each of the plurality of microwells so as to form aqueous partitions in corresponding microwells, wherein at least some of the aqueous partitions include a subvolume of the first fluid, at least a portion of the biological sample, and at least one bead, and wherein a subset of the aqueous partitions do not include any beads and a second subset of the aqueous partitions include more than one bead; and maintaining each aqueous partition in corresponding microwells for detection of contents in each aqueous partition. 